Komen Puget Sound Awards Nearly $3 Million

$2 million dollars for local breast cancer health programs. Over $815,000 for global research.

SEATTLE – The Puget Sound Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® announced a $2 million dollar investment in local breast health education and outreach programs that directly impact underserved individuals with the greatest need and over $815,000 committed to global research to find the cures for breast cancer. 

“The impact we will be able to make on breast health with this investment is a bold statement from our community that we remain united behind our promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever,” said Cheryl Shaw, executive director of the Komen Puget Sound Affiliate. “As we work towards finding the cures, our $2 million dollar investment locally funds culturally appropriate programs that close the gap in breast cancer disparities for underserved individuals living in our 16-county service area in Western Washington. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.

Dr. Michael A. Hunter, Komen Puget Sound board member and chair of the Komen Puget Sound Grants Committee presented the awards to 12 organizations in three funding categories: Early Detection/Education, Patient Navigation and Patient Assistance/Treatment Support.

“These grants increase awareness of breast cancer and help increase access to potentially lifesaving screening and treatment support,” said Hunter. “Many women in the greater Puget Sound region—who come from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds— don’t know what resources are available them, don’t understand the benefits of early detection or the urgency of follow-up tests, and aren’t aware of the success of modern cancer treatments – often thinking cancer screening is painful and a positive diagnosis is a death sentence.”

2011 grant recipients include:

• Washington Department of Health to increase screening capacity for the Breast, Cervical and Colon Health Program for uninsured and underinsured individuals, ages 40 to 64 with incomes at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level.
• Franciscan Foundation
  Improve access to early screening, diagnosis and treatment and educate Asian, Pacific Islander, African-American, Latina, Native American and sexual minority women in Tacoma/Pierce County.
• International Community Health Services
  Provide breast health outreach, education and screening to low-income, limited English- speaking Chinese, Filipina, Korean, Mien, Samoan and other Pacific Islander and Vietnamese women in Seattle/King County.
• Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest
  Increase knowledge of and access to screening and early detection for American Indian, Latina, sexual minority women and women living in rural areas of Clallam County.
• Sea Mar Community Health Centers
  Provide breast health education and outreach to rural women over 40 years old in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor County.
• Seattle Indian Health Board
  Provide breast health outreach, education and screening to urban American Indian/Alaskan Native women in Seattle/King County.
• Senior Services of Seattle-King County
  Provide community outreach and education about importance of mammograms to older African American and other women of color.
• South Puget Intertribal Planning Agency
  Provide breast health outreach, education, screening and support to women in rural tribal communities in southwest Washington who are rarely or have never been screened for breast cancer.
• YWCA of Seattle/King County and Snohomish County
  Provide education and mobile screenings to medically underserved African-American, Latina, and sexual minority women and low-income Russian-speaking women, homeless women, and women in rural areas.
• Mason General Hospital
  Assist breast cancer patients during treatment and provide survivor support, awareness and screening for low-income, Hispanic and remote rural women in Mason County.
• UW Medicine | School of Medicine
  Harborview Medical Center and UW’s Breast Health Cancer Program at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance provides patient navigation services to low-income breast cancer patients.
• Cancer Lifeline
  Administers the Komen Patient Assistance Fund to help low-income breast cancer patients living in the 16 counties served by the Puget Sound Affiliate with daily living costs while they are in treatment.

The key to survival is early detection. The five-year survival rate, when caught early before it spreads beyond the breast, is 98 percent. Through education and increased awareness, U.S. mortality rates are down 31 percent since 1990.

Nine grants focus on EARLY DETECTION AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS that provide screening and diagnostic mammography services and culturally competent outreach services that facilitate access to breast cancer screening and educate underserved communities about the importance of screening and early detection. 

Two grants focus on PATIENT NAVIGATION PROGRAMS provide one-on-one patient navigation that assist breast cancer patients in accessing and understanding the medical system, helping ensure they receive the best possible treatment.

One grant focuses on PATIENT ASSISTANCE/TREATMENT SUPPORT PROGRAMS that provide: safety net funding for low-income breast cancer patients including financial assistance for rent/mortgage,  prescriptions for medications not available through pharmaceutical assistance funds, transportation, utilities, food and nutritional supplements, medical supplies, COBRA insurance premiums, child care, personal hygiene, special clothing and dental care needed prior to chemotherapy. Treatment support services include culturally appropriate support groups, classes and resources relevant to breast cancer patients and survivors.