NEWS

Front Page Top Stories Breaking News World Politics Business Health Food & Wine Women Women in Business Opinion Letters to the Editor High Tech Sports Horoscope Entertainment Entertainment Goss Music Features Books Poetry Movie Reviews Personal Development Home & Garden Industry States UFOs Environment Education SupportOurTroops Middle East South Asia Cartoons NewsBlaze Blog Most Read

WIRES

News Wires

OTHER

About Us Contact Us Writers Editors Link to Us Advertise Sitemap

Susan G. Komen for the Cure Unveils Single Largest Investment for Washington, D.C. Area Breast Health Programs in Local Race's History

WASHINGTON, D.C. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - At a news conference today to kick-off registration season for the 2011 Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure in Washington, D.C., leaders from Susan G. Komen for the Cure announced a new $4.5 million investment in breast health education and outreach programs - the largest single-year investment in the history of the local event. A full listing of this year's grantees is included below.

"The big 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 Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker, founder and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Prior to last year's Komen Global Race for the Cure, the organization unveiled an analysis of the state of breast health in the National Capital Area. The study found that women diagnosed with breast cancer in this area are still more likely to die from the disease than the national average, despite increased awareness about the disease. The organization concluded that women in the area need a more comprehensive understanding of the disease, including how it's discovered and treated. The report also found that the region's overly fragmented health care system produces substantial barriers to accessing care for major segments of the population.

"We found that our efforts over the past two decades have significantly increased awareness of breast cancer and have helped increase access to potentially life-saving screening and treatment, yet it is time to take these efforts to the next level," said Brinker. "This report was a call to action - we need to build on the awareness we've created to develop a better understanding of the disease."

The report found that many women simply don't know what they should do about their breast health, are afraid of screening or face economic and transportation barriers that keep them from seeking help. For example, many women in the National Capital Area, who come from very diverse backgrounds - 128 countries, speaking 95 languages in Arlington alone - don't know about what resources are available to 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. Others fear that accessing screening programs for the uninsured could lead to issues with immigration.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure used the study to establish new priorities for its local funding, beginning with the grants announced today. Based on its findings, Komen will invest about $2.5 million to improve both patient and provider education and nearly $2 million to reduce fragmentation in the system in order to enhance the system's capacity to screen and provide follow-up care. More specifically:

• Two grants will focus on provider education, helping doctors and other breast health providers develop a better understanding of the myths, fears and unique needs of the different cultural populations of the women they serve. The grants will also educate providers about recommendations for screening, as well as how to best help refer their patients through the complex web of screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care.
• Eleven grants focus on patient education, including targeting breast health awareness messaging in a culturally competent manner that develops a better understanding of the importance of screening, the effectiveness of modern treatments and survivorship.
• The two largest grants focus on addressing barriers to care caused by the area's overly fragmented heath care system. They will encourage partnerships between providers in the region so that patients can be easily and efficiently referred from screening all the way through to survivorship, limiting difficulties with travel and work requirements, wait times, and financial assistance.

The newly announced grants slate was made possible in large part to funds generated by last year's Komen Global Race which attracted more than 42,000 people to the National Mall. Susan G. Komen for the Cure hopes this year's Race will surpass last year's participation so that the organization can continue to increase its impact.

Three out of every four dollars generated by the Race will stay in the D.C. area to continue to address these important issues. The remaining funds go to support the organization's efforts to address breast cancer incidence and mortality outside the United States.

For more information on the Komen Global Race for the Cure, including how to register, visit www.globalraceforthecure.org or call 703-416-RACE (7223).

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure and Komen 3-Day for the Cure, we have invested more than $1.9 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.

Komen for the Cure announced a combined $4.5 million in community grants to the following groups in the Washington, D.C. area, largely from proceeds generated by the 2010 Global Race for the Cure.

Washington Cancer Institute - Provider Education in Cultural Competency Skills
Dr. Sandra Swain, project director (Washington, D.C.)

Mautner Project - Tools for Caring: Action for LBT Breast Health
D. Magrini, project director (Washington, D.C.)

Vietnamese Resettlement Association - Breast Cancer Education, Screening and Follow up
Kim Cook, project director (Falls Church, Va.)

Nueva Vida - Comprehensive Support Services for Latinas with Breast Cancer
Larisa Caicedo, project director (Washington, D.C.)

Capital Breast Care Center - Public Education to Prevent Breast Cancer
Beth Beck, project director (Washington, D.C.)

American Association on Health and Disability - Bridging the Gap: No Woman Left Behind
Roberta Carlin, project director (Rockville, Md.)

Prince George's County Health Department - Maryland Expanded Services Program
Elaine Stillwell, project director (Largo, Md.)

Arlington Free Clinic - From Education to Access
Paula Potts, project director (Arlington, Va.)

Georgetown University Hospital - Continuum of Breast Care Project
Nancy Muzeck, project director (Washington, D.C.)

CASA de Maryland - Latino Cancer Prevention and Control Program
Jennifer Freedman, project director (Silver Spring, Md.)

Prevent Cancer Foundation - Celebremos la vida!: Providing Educational Outreach and Screening
Dr. Karen Peterson, project director (Alexandria, Va.)

Mary's Center - Mary's Center Breast Health
Alis Marachelian, project director (Washington, D.C.)

Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington - The Breast Cancer Campaign for Asian Americans
Dr. Ji-Young Cho, project director (Annandale, Va.)

Providence Health Foundation - Komen Accelerating Breast Cancer Diagnosis Project
Philip Mazzara, project director (Washington, D.C.)

Adventist HealthCare - Navigate to Health: Rapid Referral Program
Judy Lichty, project director (Rockville, Md.)

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6632701&lang=en

Susan G. Komen for the Cure®
Sean Tuffnell, 972-701-2168 or 817-988-1972
stuffnell@komen.org
or
Rebecca Gibson, 972-855-4319 or 214-418-0518
rgibson@komen.org