Grant to Alton Memorial Is Ticket to Improved Breast Health -- 618.463.7701
Everyone wins with the Illinois Lottery's Ticket for the Cure. Portions of ticket sales go to grants for breast cancer early detection, education, research and patient services throughout Illinois.
In 2009, Alton Memorial Hospital's breast health outreach program, "Woman to Woman: Standing Up for Breast Health," received a $25,000 Ticket for the Cure grant. The Hospital was able to screen 130 uninsured women through the program.
Based on the program's success, the Hospital received a larger grant -- $30,000 -- for 2010. More than $1.25 million in Ticket for the Cure community grants were awarded to 47 local health departments and community-based health organizations this year to build capacity, provide breast cancer education and outreach, and offer supportive services for those who have breast cancer and their families.
Women who qualify for the program receive a breast examination by a nurse practitioner, a one-on-one consultation with a registered nurse, educational materials and a $10 Shop `n Save gift certificate. Transportation to screenings is available.
2010 Screenings Calendar
- 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, June 5, Morning Star Baptist Church, Alton, get a map
- 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, July 17, Alton YWCA, get a map
- Noon-5 p.m. Saturday, August 14, Fifth Annual Family Health, HIV/AIDS and Kidney Expo at Alton Square, get a map
- 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, September 25, Bread of Life Fellowship Church, Alton, get a map
- 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, October 23, Bethesda Temple, Alton, get a map
"We are again targeting women in our community, making a concentrated effort to remove barriers that sometimes prevent women from confronting their health risks," says Marlene Lewis, development officer at Alton Memorial, who wrote the grant. "By offering this program in an accessible, non-threatening environment we have been successful in connecting with the women we need to reach."
This year, the Woman to Woman outreach program is partnering with Lewis and Clark Community College to bring a mobile health van and nurse practitioners to screening locations, with a goal of reaching 200 women.
"We want women to know the importance of self-examinations and encourage them to be more proactive about breast health," says Lewis. "The key is to make the program accessible and personal. By bringing health care to a woman's neighborhood or place of worship, our Woman to Woman program is outreach in its truest form."
