Lakeland Health Receives Grant for Breast Cancer Services
The Michigan Affiliate of Susan G. Komen® has awarded a $30,300 grant to the Lakeland Health Foundations for the purpose of providing breast cancer screening services and education through Lakeland Health to underserved women in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties.
The grant will allow Lakeland Health to continue the
Compassion Card program, which was introduced in 2012. This program will provide 100 free breast cancer screenings or diagnostic services, along with transportation, to
southwest Michigan women under the age of 65 who
are uninsured or underinsured and live at or below the
poverty line. It will also help promote breast health
education, including the importance of early detection
and regular screenings, to low-income women
throughout the area.
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer reported at Lakeland Health, with 164 patients with breast cancer treated in the past year. Although the Affordable Care Act provides access to insurance to help cover the expense of breast cancer screenings and diagnostic services, there are still local residents who do not have the means to apply for the insurance and receive these life-saving services.
“Through this grant, Lakeland hopes to eliminate financial barriers so that more women can be screened for breast cancer in our community, regardless of cost,” said
Jann Totzke, Executive Director of Oncology Services,
Lakeland Health. “Mammography is an important screening tool – the earlier we find cancer, the greater the chance for
earlier diagnosis and improved outcomes.”
For more information about the Compassion Card program or other breast cancer services, contact the Lakeland Health Marie Yeager Cancer Center at (269) 556-2866 or visit www.lakelandhealth.org/cancer