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$100,000 goes to hospital's breast health services
 Members of The Battelle Breast Care Center staff are excited about using the $100,000 grant from the The Columbus affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure to help the women of Madison County: (from left) Mitchell Spahn, M.D.; Stefanie Cunningham, mammography technician; Talena Hill, director of radiology; Sue Besinger, breast care specialist; Terri Bissonnett, ultrasound technician; Elaine Ewald, Madison County Hospital’s chief operating officer; and Robin Hastings, mammography technician. |
(Posted March 10, 2010)
The Columbus affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure has approved a $100,000 grant for the Madison County Hospital Foundation for breast cancer screening, treatment and educational services.
“We are very excited about our partnership with the Madison County Hospital Foundation and the hospital’s Battelle Breast Care Center,” said Megan Knapke, MPH, director of community outreach for the Komen Columbus affiliate. “As one of the counties in our service area with the highest rate of mortality from breast cancer, we prioritized funding for the women of Madison County this year and are excited about the opportunity to fund this new initiative.”
The goal of the initiative is to increase the number of women who regularly participate in breast-self exams, annual check-ups and mammograms. The grant will allow for increased education and awareness throughout the county, free breast screenings and transportation to services, and financial assistance to women who do not have health insurance or do not qualify for other assistance programs.
The grant also makes possible a breast care clinic that provides breast exams and mammograms at no out-of-pocket cost to the patient. The first clinics will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. April 8 and April 22 in The Battelle Breast Care Center. Although a physician’s order is not necessary, participants must call (740) 845-7100 to make an appointment.
“I encourage all Madison County women who are 35 or older and have not had an annual mammogram because of cost, to come to one of our clinics,” said Mitchell Spahn, medical director of The Battelle Breast Care Center. “By providing services at no cost to you, there should be nothing holding you back from getting a mammogram.”
In addition to the free screenings and treatment services, the grant will fund an education and awareness campaign targeting Madison County women.
“Not only do we want to educate women in our county about availability of the breast care clinics, we also want them to know the importance of annual screenings and self-exams. Finding and treating breast cancer in its earliest stage offers a woman the best chance for survival,” said MCH Foundation Director Mona Flax, a 20-year breast cancer survivor.
The Komen grant will cover a one-year period from April 1, 2010, through March 31, 2011.
In 2006, the Madison County Hospital leaders found out the county had high breast cancer incidence and mortality rates. In response, the MCH Foundation launched a $2 million breast cancer Initiative aimed at increasing education and awareness, expanding screening, diagnostic and treatment options, and establishing a breast cancer endowment fund to provide health care services to women who are uninsured or under insured.
So far, the Foundation has used funds from the initiative to assist the hospital in renovating space for The Battelle Breast Care Center, adding a breast care specialist to the staff, and bringing the latest technology for diagnosing and treating breast cancer to Madison County, including breast MRI, digital mammography, sentinel node and stereotactic biopsy capabilities.
While the MCH Foundation continues to work on the breast cancer initiative, the Komen grant allows screening and treatment for those in need to start immediately.
“Women in any area should know their risk for breast cancer and the importance of early detection. We trust that this program will make a significant impact by serving women throughout Madison county with education, screening and treatment services, and will ultimately save lives,” Knapke said.
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Breast cancer support group
The Battelle Breast Care Center at Madison County Hospital has created a support group for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. The group is open to everyone, from those who recently received their diagnosis to long-time survivors.
Meetings are set for 7 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Battelle Breast Care Center, located on the ground floor of the Park Avenue Medical Building. The first meeting is March 24. Participants can expect guest speakers, support from other women, and time to share their thoughts about breast cancer.
For more information, contact Sue Besinger, R.N., breast care specialist, at sbesinger@mch-ohio.org or (740) 845-7884.
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Mammography Open House
On March 3, The Battelle Breast Care Center at Madison County Hospital hosted an open house to give the community a look at its new digital mammography unit. Here, mammography technician Stefanie Cunningham talks to Evelyn West about how the equipment allows patients to experience more efficient and more comfortable exams.
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