29th Annual Race For The Cure
- Details
- Published on Wednesday, 07 May 2014 20:35
- Written by Paul Gordon
The vision remains the same: A world without breast cancer. It's why the Susan G. Komen For the Cure keeps racing toward a cure, year after year, with the belief that vision will be realized.
The 29th Annual Race for the Cure steps off at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Metro Centre as thousands run or walk on behalf of themselves, for survivors of breast cancer or for those who did not survive. Since it began, the Peoria race – one of the largest nationwide in the hometown of Susan G. Komen – has run on Mother's Day weekend.
It is well documented that Susan G. Komen For the cure and the races for the cure that occur across the country are the result of a promise founder Nancy Brinker made to her sister, Komen. The thousands who participate, race organizers say, are helping to full "Our promise, to save lives and end breast cancer."
Each year the Memorial Affiliate, as the Peoria office is known, highlights the stories of breast cancer survivors who participate each year. Women like Robin Palmer of Bartonville, who tells how she and her mother started participating for others with the disease, only to each be diagnosed with it later. "It was a way to feel like we were helping the cause. Then, I was walking for my mom. Now, we walk for each other," said Palmer, now a two-time survivor.
Sharon Kilgore of Peoria said she participates for three reasons: "To find a cure for breast cancer, continue the Komen system that helps so many women, and remember friends who did survive and celebrate those who did."
This year the affiliate honors a young woman for whom time may be running out. Diagnosed at 28, Elizabeth Grant of West Peoria is very open about her illness, which is now Stage 4 breast cancer, and said she believes she is still alive today because of those who have given money to help fund research to organizations such as Komen For the Cure.
The young wife and mother has tried several different types of drug treatments, including some that have come available for trials only because of the kind of research funded by Komen For The Cure. "Research brings more trials, which brings more drugs to try, which brings more months to live. I'm blessed to have so many treatment options available. It is saving my life. Each new drug buys me time; time for the cancer to remain stable, time to spend with my husband and children, time for another drug to be discovered, which will give me more time. Time is precious. We can't put a price on time," Grant said.
Her story and the others are shared by Komen For The Cure to let participants know how their money and time make a difference.
Since 1992 the Komen Memorial affiliate has invested nearly $10 million in education, screening and treatment programs in the 36-county area it serves. In fact, 75 percent of all funds raises by the affiliate is used in that service region.
The other 25 percent is used to grant research projects. The national organization provided $43 million in grants in 2013. Closer to home, more than $565,000 was granted to local community health agencies last year, helping to catch the disease early in dozens of women who otherwise would not have been able to be screened.
Other Komen For The Cure events are coming up fast, including the Springfield Race for the Cure next Friday, May 16, and the Peoria Ride for the Cure on Saturday May 17 at the Shoppes at Grand Prairie.
Below is the list of organizations that received grants from the Susan G. Komen Memorial Affiliate and how the funds will be used.
Peoria Area Grantees are:
Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Peoria, Inc, Peoria, IL - $2,500.00
The Boys and Girls Clubs' project will increase breast cancer awareness in the African American and Hispanic populations. The project will focus on both primary and secondary prevention methods. The project will target those who are medically underserved, uninsured, or underinsured. Literature on breast cancer will be presented during quarterly educational group sessions on-site at the Boys & Girls Clubs and during home visits throughout the year. Educational sessions on-site will be co-facilitated by community guest speakers and cancer survivors. Activities will include a pre and post-test, an informative presentation on breast cancer, and computerized interactive instructional breast self-examination. The project will include two community health fairs hosted in the fall and spring. To recruit the targeted populations, the Boys & Girls Clubs will host the career fairs in a widely accessible area that has been identified by the Health Resources and Service Administration as a medically underserved area. The Boys & Girls Club will also collaborate with local African-American churches to assist with recruitment efforts. To increase the availability of screening and diagnostic mammograms, the BGC will host the Methodist Mamm-van at both health fairs.
Fulton County Health Department, Canton, IL - $16,500.00
A primary focus for Fulton County Health Department will be to increase breast self awareness through early detection, access to screening and education. The large, rural geography of Fulton County has no public transportation and limited access to client services. We will target identified high risk areas and populations in an effort to reduce rates of breast cancer incidence and mortality. With limited resources, many women focus their attention on family needs and not on their preventative health care. Education is key to improve these screening rates. Education will include risk assessment, screening information and healthy lifestyle choices. We will facilitate an existing breast cancer support group for newly diagnosed survivors and their families in Fulton County. We will network with area providers, hospitals and other grantees to ensure early and thorough access to all available services. Staff will monitor each client from program entry to completion of services.
Hancock County Health Department, Carthage, IL - $14,800.00
Using dollars provided by a Community Grant from the Memorial Affiliate of Susan G Komen for the Cure , the Hancock County Health Department will provide screening and diagnostic mammograms and ultrasounds as clinically indicated to income-eligible women aged 40 or more years (or younger women who are high-risk or symptomatic) who lack the resources to obtain these services for themselves. Too many Hancock County women die from breast cancer. The rate of breast cancer deaths in Hancock County women (33.8 per 100,000) is 43% higher than the unacceptably high national rate of 23.61 per 100,000. Early detection and diagnosis leading to early treatment can greatly increase a woman's chances of survival. Regular mammography is key to early detection and early diagnosis. This project will not only deliver this message to Hancock County women, but will also inspire and enable them to translate their knowledge into potentially lifesaving action. Success of the program will be demonstrated by the number of women served and by the number of services provided as well as the numbers of persons educated about the vital importance of regular screenings. Comprehensive education that increases awareness, promotes good breast health, and encourages participation in regular screenings will be provided to persons of all ages and both genders in an effort to increase the numbers of women screened and to reduce the morbidity and mortality from breast cancer in Hancock County.
Heartland Community Health Clinic, Peoria, IL - $60,000.00
Heartland Community Health Clinic will provide breast health services to women in Peoria, Woodford, and Marshall Counties with emphasis on African American women and women in rural areas. A comprehensive program of services will include providing breast health information through outreach at health fairs, community events, and churches; maintaining a network of medical providers for clinical services; reimbursing designated breast health screening services for uninsured women, and providing direct follow-up case management services to assure women with abnormal screening results receive appropriate follow-up care. An important aspect of the program includes participating in activities to increase the capacity in the community by strengthening local breast health advocacy coalitions. Evaluation of the program will include reports of the number of women receiving education, women in minority populations, and women receiving mammograms and other breast health services. The impact on the community will be an increased capacity for services through coalition building, increased breast health awareness through education, and increased number of uninsured and minority women receiving screening mammograms and breast health services.
Hult Center for Healthy Living, Peoria, IL - $15,000.00
The purpose of the Hult Center for Healthy Living's Kids Konnected program is to provide compassion; support, friendship, and learning for kids whose lives are impacted by a parent or caregiver with cancer. Kids Konnected will continue to focus on:
• Increasing program referrals through Hult's relationship with Illinois Cancer Care.
• Increasing participants from African American and rural communities and implementing off -site programming.
• Marketing the Kids Konnected program to the communities of Central Illinois in an effort to raise awareness and increase participation.
The Kids Konnected facilitators will be implementing multiple different measurement tools to measure each participant's quality of life. The program is estimated to assist hundreds of individuals, both adults and children, within KMASA whose family is dealing with a cancer diagnosis.
Hult Center for Healthy Living, Peoria, IL - $18,000.00
The Hult Center for Healthy Living's purpose for providing the Breast Self-Awareness program is to increase the knowledge of young women in the KMASA. The program is designed to educate young women on the importance of making breast health a priority through the course of their life. The Hult Center's professional educators will travel to schools to implement an interactive breast health program. A PowerPoint presentation and video will be used to reinforce the message of: know your risk, get screened, know what is normal for you and make healthy lifestyle choices. The young women will be able to participate in the program by using Turning Point hand-held keypads to answer pre- and post-test questions anonymously. Results from the pre- and post-test will be used to assess the increase in knowledge of participants in regards to Breast Self-Awareness. Students participating in the program will also be encouraged to take home the message of how important preventative breast health is by passing on a breast health information booklet to important females in their lives. The program will directly and indirectly impact many female teens and adults within the KMASA.
Hult Center for Healthy Living, Peoria, IL - $10,000.00
The purpose of the Hult Center for Healthy Living's "Making Connections" program is to provide supportive and educational services to cancer patients, survivors, and their families. The main activities of this program include: providing support groups and individual counseling for people who have breast cancer or previously had breast cancer, and for their caregivers, at no charge. With the "Making Connections" program, Hult will also offer specialized yoga classes on Monday evenings for breast cancer patients and survivors to promote healthy living during and after their breast cancer journey. Effectiveness of these services will be evaluated by having participants complete "Quality of Life" surveys. Participants complete an initial survey, rating their overall quality of life prior to receiving counseling. After 3 months of counseling, participants will then complete another survey to evaluate whether the patient/caregiver perceives a benefit from the services and improvement in their quality of life. Through the "Making Connections" program, the Hult Center for Healthy Living expects to help cancer patients and their caregivers improve:
• Coping skills
• Self-advocacy
• Self-efficacy
• Anxiety management
• Quality of life in the areas of psychological well-being and social well-being
Knox County Health Department, Galesburg, IL - $25,000.00
The purpose of this program will be to educate, screen and ensure appropriate follow-up for rural, low-income and under and uninsured women of Knox County. This program will prove to be a seamless transition for established patients and well as new patients that will be seen in the Community Clinic. Women's Health Services provided with these grant dollars will enable many women to receive comprehensive health services including mammograms, clinical breast exams, breast health education and follow-up provided by experienced RN Komen staff. This staff will be able to answer medical questions as well as help patients navigate through the medical system and alleviate any anxiety associated with navigating the system. Key activities within this program will include women's breast health education at every opportunity, either one on one or in a community setting, providing clinical breast exams and mammograms at no cost to the patient, and assurance of appropriate follow-up for abnormal findings. Evaluation methods will be provided by patient satisfaction surveys, computer generated reports from patient medical results and medical provider surveys of services. The expected outcomes of this program will be to increase breast cancer awareness to rural, low-income and minority populations of Knox County, to provide an increase in routine clinical breast exams and screening mammograms to women who have rarely if ever have had a mammogram and make the experience non-threatening.
McDonough County Health Department, Macomb, IL - $13,000.00
McDonough County Health Department's current programs in this division include WIC, Immunizations, Lead Testing, Tobacco Free, Susan G. Komen, and IBCCP. We collaborate with agencies in the county to accommodate our client's needs. We provide the women with additional educational materials and a gas voucher to help insure that she is able to get to the facility for her mammogram.
OSF Saint Francis Medical Center Foundation- Susan G. Komen Breast Center, Peoria, IL - $19,600.00
OSF Saint Francis Medical Center's Breast Health Community Outreach and Recruitment Program will improve access to care by providing mammograms, transportation assistance and breast health education to those in need in our community. The OSF Saint Francis' Breast Health Navigator will be dedicated to reaching out to women in the underserved communities by arranging opportunities for access to mammograms, breast health education and risk reduction. Methods to achieve these goals will be through community events and educational programs as well as providing one-on-one teaching, gas cards and partnering with other experts in breast health and risk reduction. The target populations will be uninsured, underinsured, African American and Hispanic populations, rural population and women of screening mammogram age that are unaware of or do not follow screening mammogram guidelines.
OSF-Saint Francis Medical Center Foundation- Susan G. Komen Breast Center, Peoria, IL - $15,000.00
OSF Saint Francis Medical Center will continue to collaborate with UnityPoint Health-Methodist | Proctor Foundation in providing financial assistance for patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer thru Pink Link. Pink Link will continue to focus on newly diagnosed breast cancer patients providing them with gas and grocery cards. We understand the financial burden of cancer can be great for some. We desire for the patient's main focus to be on healing verses the stress of financial hardship. We have provided this program for the past 5 years with great success.
Tazewell County Health Department, Tremont, IL - $65,000.00
Tazewell County Health Department's "No Excuses" program will provide education to all women and their loved ones about breast self-awareness; preventable and non-preventable risk factors; breast cancer screenings, diagnostics and follow up. Key activities of our program include reaching out to all areas of Tazewell County, with the emphasis on the rural areas. Tazewell County Health Department (TCHD) provides breast health education to all women, and screening and diagnostic services to women who have no insurance and/or whose insurance does not include breast cancer screening coverage. Every October on National Mammography Day, TCHD partners with Pekin Hospital for "Mammography Day". Every woman who attends receives a free mammogram on that day along with breast health education provided through collaboration with Bradley University nursing students. The American Cancer Society provides educational literature, and the local YWCA provides incentives for each participant. Evaluation of the No Excuses program includes tracking logs, client and provider satisfaction surveys, quality assurance reviews, and chart audits. The desired outcome of this program is to assist the women of Tazewell County overcome barriers by providing them with education, screenings &diagnostics, access to care & transportation assistance. This result in an increased number of women getting screened is increased early diagnosis & treatment which results in better quality of life!
UnityPoint Health –Methodist | Proctor Foundation, Peoria, IL - $85,000.00
The focus of this initiative is to increase the number of African American women, Hispanic women, Women living in Rural areas and women who are uninsured/underinsured who receive breast health screening through mammography, thereby improving chances for early detection and successful treatment of breast cancer in these populations. Women with the previous demographic needs will be specifically targeted for education and events that encourage yearly mammography compliance. Identification, education, and improved access to services will all be components of the program. A BRA outreach educator position will be necessary in order to implement the functions critical to success. The BRA outreach educator will connect underserved women with breast health services and help them obtain the necessary care and treatment through the UPH Methodist Breast Health Navigator when needed. Funding for this program includes the salary of the BRA outreach educator to facilitate events and provide information to targeted women; fuel for the Mammovan to travel to locations for identified population; and payment for the actual mammogram. BRA provides comfort, support, protection, and "lift" that a woman needs to overcome her hesitations about breast health assessment.
UnityPoint Health –Methodist | Proctor Foundation, Foundation, Peoria, IL - $5,000.00
This collaborative program serves patients of UnityPoint Health - Methodist | Proctor and OSF Saint Francis breast services. The program is administered by the UnityPoint Health - Methodist | Proctor Foundation. Educational materials are made available to all patients diagnosed with breast cancer regardless of financial resources. Educational materials include but not limited to the Breast Cancer Treatment handbook.
Bloomington/Normal Area Grantees:
Central Illinois Chapter, The Links Incorporated, Bloomington, IL - $10,000.00
Central Illinois Chapter, The Links Incorporated program, Taking STEPS proposes to provide screening opportunities with focus on African American Women. Through education, reminders and aggressive positions, we want to encourage and support the need for regular and early screening. Breast cancer is the most common cancer amount African American women. Although the incidence is lower in the population of African American women, the death rate is higher and the survival rate is much shorter than that of any racial and ethnic group in America. While the causes for these disparities are complex, many arise from lack of trusted information and access to resources. We present information focusing on dispelling myths, misinformation and providing access to health providers, accurate information, comfortable environment and free mammograms. In addition to providing information on healthy lifestyle changes, diet adjustments, exercise, preventative health care and choices, our presenters include self breast exams instructors, nutritionists, radiologists, personal trainers, physicians assistants and internal medicine experts. Women that qualify for free screenings are offered transportation to the screening site. Transportation has been found to be a barrier to healthcare and specifically for preventative services such as a mammogram. The impact of our program continues to lead to a greater understanding of the importance of being proactive in making informed lifestyle changes and being attentive to routine checkups.
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, Champaign, IL - $35,568.00
This project will identify uninsured or underinsured women in need of breast cancer screening. Through this grant, the Champaign – Urbana Public Health Department IBCCP will provide screening mammograms for the identified women. CUPHD IBCCP grant funds will be used to provide clinical breast exams as well as diagnostic services for those with an abnormal screening mammogram and/or clinical breast exam. Eligible women diagnosed with breast cancer will be referred to the IBCCP Medicaid Treatment Act for coverage of treatment services. If fully funded, our goal is to provide screening mammograms for 250 low-income, uninsured or underinsured women from Champaign, McLean, and Vermilion Counties in Illinois. Data regarding mammograms provided is tracked via entries into the IDPH Cornerstone Computer System and a CUPHD Excel Database. Monthly provider reimbursements and statistics are accomplished through reports printed from these databases. Therefore, it is easy to track the usage of the Komen grant funds and the women receiving these mammograms. Please note: the funds from these grants are used exclusively for the screening mammograms: staff time, office expenses, and diagnostic services will be funded from CUPHD"s IBCCP grant and agency matching funds.
Community Cancer Center Foundation, Normal, IL - $25,000.00
Pink Partners™ of the Community Cancer Center is a community wide, multi-year initiative to raise the mammography rate in an effort to save lives lost to breast cancer. The program includes educational outreach activities targeting African American, Hispanic, and rural women in McLean County and the six surrounding counties. This program provides access to a certified breast health navigator, financial assistance for mammograms and/or diagnostic procedures for uninsured or underinsured women, transportation funding to get women to mammogram or breast cancer treatment appointments, and financial assistance for women diagnosed with breast cancer for non-medical debts acquired during treatment. The goal of this project is to raise the number of women getting annual mammograms which will be measured through the continued collection of mammogram data from the mammography facilities in McLean County. By eliminating educational, financial, and transportation barriers, this project can impact the number of women seeking mammograms which, in turn, can save lives through early detection.
Livingston County Public Health Department, Pontiac, IL - $9,000.00
Livingston County Public Health Department's Komen for the Cure in Livingston County will increase the number of women in the county who receive annual mammograms and progress thru the continuum of care when needed, by removing 'lack of transportation' as a barrier, and will increase referrals from providers and others to IBCCP and Komen funded services. Using Komen's "Know What's Normal For You" brochure, breast self-awareness education will move women forward, from the former message of doing monthly self-breast exams to find lumps, to understanding early detection & prevention of invasive breast cancer is about more than just a lump, thus reducing the rate of invasive breast cancer in the county. Key activities include: distribution of gas cards to women in need; educating providers and others about the continuing need for, and availability of, IBCCP and Komen funded services; and providing women with current breast self-awareness education one-on-one, at events, thru the media, and electronically. Process and impact evaluation will be conducted using activity timelines and paper & electronic tracking logs to ensure objectives are being met. This project is expected to improve breast cancer outcomes for women thru early detection and follow-thru with recommended diagnostic testing and treatment plans.
McLean County Health Department, Bloomington, IL – Small Grant - $2,750.00
This pilot project will fund presentations for women in rural areas covering the topics of breast health & risk prevention methods. Specifically, it will focus on the importance of nutrition & physical activity to decrease the risks of breast cancer.
Participant numbers will be utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The number of educational materials distributed will be used in the evaluation process as well as the number of requests for information. Participants of each event will be given an evaluation form to complete for personal satisfaction ratings in order to tailor future events. In addition, follow-up phone calls will be completed to each event's leading contact, in order to survey the proportion of participants able to maintain initial increase of daily steps as well as assistance to addressing barriers of women receiving yearly mammograms.
Through this program, women in rural areas will be encouraged to increase their amounts of physical fitness through walking, which decreases their risk of breast cancer, in addition to increasing their education on the importance of receiving yearly mammograms & clinical breast exams.
Springfield Area Grantees:
Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University, Springfield, IL - $20,400.00
The Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University-The Regional Cancer Partnership (RCP), via Memorial Medical Center, St. John's Hospital and Simmons Cancer Institute at SIU, has the ability to change women's view of the fear linked with mammograms. The American Cancer Society recommends annual mammograms for women 40 and over, and who are considered high risk. Studies show women are uneasy having a mammogram because they fear discomfort; fear confronting the issue; misinformation about screening; and busy schedules. The Centers for Disease Control asserts breast cancer as the second leading cause of death for white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women in the US; and the most common cause of death for Hispanic women. It is the most common cancer in all women. Mammograms are the best method to detect breast cancer early when it is easier to. Mammography is approximately 90% accurate in finding breast cancer. The Centers for Disease Control asserts a yearly mammogram can detect a breast lump an average of 1.7 years before it can be detected by self examination; increasing survival by 20 to 25%. Mammogram Mondays will occur each Monday in October to encourage under-insured women to get a free mammogram. RCP determined that collaborating with SCI, Memorial Medical Center and St. John's Hospital will give more under-insured women access. Mammogram Mondays would prevent delay, provide support and decrease anxiety about the most important cancer screening available for women.
Hospital Sisters of St. Francis Foundation, Inc., Springfield, IL - $21,804.00
Hospital Sisters of St. Francis Foundation, Inc. -St. John's Hospital in Springfield and St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield are partnering hospitals in the Hospital Sisters Health System. These hospitals will provide at least 158 low-income women from Cass, Christian, Logan, Macoupin, Mason, Montgomery, Morgan and Sangamon counties with access to a free annual screening mammogram. We will increase the availability of screening and provide the necessary resources that these patients need to overcome the barriers to accessing regular mammograms. Underinsured women will be scheduled for a breast screening mammogram, in addition to receiving breast health information. Evaluation of the program will be tracked by the number of women receiving a screening mammogram and breast health education. The potential impact of this program is greater access to breast screening services available to our target population that do not have a regular mammogram, increasing collaboration among hospitals for breast health services, increasing breast health awareness, and collaboration with local agencies in providing access to health services.
Montgomery County Health Department, Hillsboro, IL - $4,477.00
The purpose of the Montgomery County Health Department program is to assist uninsured/underinsured women age 40-49 with the cost of diagnostic services. Key activities will include paying for the cost of the eligible client's diagnostic services and providing breast health education to them. Evaluation methods will include tracking the number of women served through the program, as well as client surveys that are sent out following receipt of services. The expected change in the communities is that more women age 40-49 will receive financial assistance with diagnostic services.
Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center, Mattoon, IL - $19,200.00
Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center (SBL) provides breast cancer screening services for women in Coles, Douglas, and Moultrie Counties. The SBL mobile mammography unit increases access to screening services in rural areas. Case management for underserved women is coordinated with the East Central Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (ECIBCCP), which offers breast cancer screening for uninsured Illinois women between age 50 and 64 years. (IBCCP enrolls women under 50 only if they have been screened through other sources and referred for follow-up services.) ECIBCCP-enrolled women are referred to participating local providers or the SBL mobile unit. All women screened receive information about health risks for older women and the importance of annual screenings. Funds from the Peoria Memorial increase the access to screening services by supporting a portion of the costs of the mobile mammography program. SBL mobile services annually reach an estimated 740 women in the targeted three-county area. Women may call 800-331-1689 for additional information about ECIBCCP.
Shelby Memorial Hospital, Shelbyville, IL - $15,000.00
Through Shelby Memorial Hospital, women in Shelby County have received preventative services & have been educated on the worth of early detection. SMH wishes to continue these benefits. The Pink Ribbon Program (PRP) provides a digital screening mammogram, the radiologist's interpretation, & educational material regarding breast cancer, all at no cost to women who qualify. Qualifications are: individuals must be 35-64, be uninsured or underinsured, meet income guidelines, & not qualify for funding through IBCCP. Some, due to limited income, wouldn't comply with their physician's advice to have a mammogram or diagnostics without financial aid. Our outreach-monthly event, Girls Night Out (GNO), focuses on women's health issues including breast cancer awareness. Self breast exam & mammogram information are available to all attending women. SMH joins in an annual Health Fair in which the hospital circulates information to women about breast cancer, the importance of getting a screening mammogram & our PRP. Tackle for a Cure is a fun way to remind women to get their mammogram. A local, high school hosts a "pink" football game in which mammogram, self-check breast exam & PRP information is distributed. The purpose of the PRP, the outreach of GNO & the Health Fair is to help & to remind women to get their mammograms. The PRP arms qualifying rural, under-insured or uninsured women with a mammogram or diagnostics at no costs. SMH wants no one to go without a mammogram because she cannot afford it.
