Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund Awards Grant For Breast Cancer Awareness Program To Christiana Care Health System

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 25 Jan 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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The Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund has awarded a $45,000 one-year grant to Christiana Care Health System's Community Outreach, Helen F. Graham Cancer Center, to increase awareness of the life-saving benefits of early detection of breast cancer. Our programs not only focus on initial screenings but promoting annual screenings. Our Helping Hands for Breast Health Program provides reminder letters to those who were screened the previous year. The Hats Off for Breast Health provides an interactive session for women to discuss and face reasons why they fail to complete screenings. The Avon community outreach coordinator is dedicated to educating and navigating women to complete their annual breast screening. Innovative strategies such as "group or block scheduling times" allow groups of women who know each other to come together for their screening. This is the seventh year that the program has received Avon Foundation funding to support its work on this important health issue, and in recognition of the excellence of the program.

Helping Hands for Breast Health at Christiana Care will educate women in Delaware, refer them to the Screening for Life program or low-cost mammograms and clinical breast exams in their own communities. This vital program will also work with other agencies such as the Federally Qualified Health Centers, Sisters on a Mission, the Charmettes who serve African American and Hispanic women.

Since January of 2002, the Helping Hands for Breast Health at Christiana Care Health System has reached on average 1000 women a year. Each year our program has focused efforts on finding new women who need assistance and sending reminders to those screened the previous year. Last year, more than 2463 women were informed about the importance of early detection of breast cancer and 1085 where referred for mammograms and clinical breast exams.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in the U.S., and the leading single cause of death overall in women between the ages of 40 and 55. According to the American Cancer Society, 560 new cases of breast cancer will be detected in Delaware this year and 120 lives will be lost. Nationwide, there is a new diagnosis every three minutes and a death from breast cancer every fourteen minutes. While advances have been made in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure, early detection still affords the best opportunity for successful treatment. Programs such as Helping Hands for Breast Health help ensure that all women have access to early detection information and options, even poor and medically underserved women.

"We are proud that the Avon Foundation shares our mission and has chosen to support our program again. With these funds we will be able to continue our work to encourage, educate and help those -whatever their need," says Ms. Nora C. Katurakes, RN, MSN, OCN, Community Health Outreach and Education Manager.

Since 1993, the Avon Foundation has awarded more than 1,000 grants to community-based breast health programs across the United States, including Helping Hands for Breast Health at Christiana Care. These programs are dedicated to educating underserved women about breast cancer and linking them to early detection screening services.

The Avon Foundation and Breast Cancer Crusade

The Avon Foundation, an accredited 501(c) (3) public charity, was founded in 1955 to improve the lives of women and their families. Now past the half century milestone, the Foundation brings this mission to life through the Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program and the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, which raises funds and awareness to advance access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer, with a focus on the medically underserved. Since 1992 the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade has raised and awarded more than $525 million worldwide for medical research; access to care; support services; screening and diagnostics; and education and awareness. The largest fundraising program in the U.S. is the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer series.

The Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund

The Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund is administered by Cicatelli Associates Inc. to support community-based, non-profit breast health programs across the country. The Fund's National Advisory Board selected Helping Hands for Breast Health at Christiana Care as one of 143 new grant recipients nationwide in the 2008 cycle of Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund grants. These organizations were chosen based on their ability to effectively reach women, particularly minority, low-income, and older women, who are often medically underserved.

For more Information

For more information on Helping Hands for Breast Health at Christiana Care Health System, please call Nora Katurakes at (302) 765-4178. For more information about breast cancer, contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 or http://www.cancer.org.

To learn more about the Avon Foundation, visit http://www.avonfoundation.org, where you can also access the free printable Breast Health Resource Guide in English and Spanish. For information or to register or support the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer events, visit http://www.avonwalk.org.

Christiana Care Health System, which dates back to 1888, is one of the region's largest not-for profit health care providers, serving the people of Delaware as well as neighboring areas of Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. A teaching hospital, Christiana Care is recognized as a regional center for excellence in cardiology, cancer and women's health services, as well as Level-I trauma care and Level-3 neonatal intensive care (both highest intensity). Christiana Care operates two hospitals, transitional care services, preventive medicine and rehabilitation services, a network of primary care physician offices and an extensive range of outpatient and home health services. Christiana Care provided $25.2 million of charity care last year.

Christiana Care Health System