The Tennessee Breast and Cervical Screening Program has received a $35,000 grant from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation’s Chattanooga affiliate. The funding will be used to
provide breast screening services for eligible women in the ten counties
of the Department of Health’s Southeast region.

“We are delighted with the financial support from this local affiliate,” said Health Commissioner Susan R. Cooper, MSN, RN. “All of the Komen funds will be used to pay for mammograms provided by our community partners, and we know these screening tests can save lives.”

Many counties in the department’s Southeast region, which includes
Bledsoe, Bradley, Franklin, Grundy, McMinn, Marion, Meigs, Polk, Rhea
and Sequatchie Counties, have higher incidence and mortality rates related to breast and cervical cancer than the state average.

Based on the most current data available, 2001-2005, Grundy and Rhea Counties have higher incidence rates than the state. Bledsoe, Bradley and Marion Counties have higher mortality rates that the state as a whole. These
five counties will be the primary target for the Komen funded project.
Hamilton County is also included in this project.

Called The BeST (Breast Screening and Treatment) for Tennessee Women Project, the target group for screening is women between the ages of 50 and 64 who are uninsured or underinsured and have income below 250
percent of the federal poverty level.

The project is especially looking
for women who have never had a mammogram or have not had one in two or more years.

“Women in this target group are the women at greatest risk for breast
cancer,” said Susan Merrell, RN, coordinator of TBCCSP services in the
Southeast region. “Other risk factors include family history of breast
cancer, increasing age and being a former or current smoker. Many women
don’t know about or don’t take advantage of the annual screening
covered by Medicare and other insurance policies. We urge all women to get these annual exams.”

“This Komen support will help us provide about 250 mammograms to
eligible women in the ten county area,” said Dora Coker, RN, TBCCSP
coordinator for Hamilton County. “Other funds help us provide both
breast and cervical screening services to an additional 1,500 women each year.”

Women who think they qualify for the program are urged to call their local health department for more information.