Breast Health Caravan to visit Beacon
Next Thursday, April 14, the Breast Health Caravan will arrive at the Beacon of H.O.P.E.
“We will provide a private no-cost breast examination by a volunteer provider, a bilingual case manager if needed, one-on-one breast health education, no cost screening mammogram and a packet of information,” Beacon of H.O.P.E. director Betsy Haesemeyer said.
The Beacon partners with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Partners for Breast Cancer Care, Friendship Centers, From Our Hearts, Radiology Regional Center, Lee Memorial Health System and United Way for this event.
The Susan G. Komen Foundation of Southwest Florida performed a profile study of Lee County to determine where services were needed most. The results indicated that Dunbar, North Fort Myers, Lehigh and Pine Island had the highest need for services.
“This is a project that was initiated by Partners for Breast Cancer Care to bring breast care to this community,” Janet Darnell, executive director of Partners for Breast Cancer Care, said. “We did our homework and we know that there are pockets of women in Lee County that just don’t go to the doctor and one of those ‘pockets’ is Pine Island.
“Many don’t go because they don’t have insurance or they may not have the finances or lots of other reasons,” Darnell said. “We estimate that there are 54,000 women in Lee County without health insurance and by bringing these services to the community we remove all of the reasons not to have a mammogram.”
According to its website, the mission of Partners for Breast Cancer Care Inc. is to “save lives and reduce suffering from breast cancer through improved early detection, education, and access to healthcare.”
Requirements for qualification:
Must be Lee County resident year-round
Household must be living up to and including 250% of the poverty level
Must have photo ID
Must have proof of residency in Lee County
Must have no health insurance or be considered underinsured
Must have proof of household income
Screening mammograms will be provided at no cost for women 40+.
Women below the age of 40 who has a breast concern are encouraged to call the Partners for Breast Cancer Care office to talk to Rosemary, senior case manager. Once qualified for the no-cost services, the center will schedule an appointment for diagnostic testing, as per the prescription from the doctor.
The Beacon of H.O.P.E. is located at 5090 Doug Taylor Circle, St James City. For more information call 239-283-5123.