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Jefferson County Cancer Coalition donates to Mammogram Voucher program

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Recently, members of the Jefferson County Cancer coalition presented a donation in the amount of $2,000 to Fort HealthCare. The funds were designated for the Fort HealthCare Mammogram Voucher program, a service that offers free or reduced cost mammograms to women who may not be able to afford them.

The Jefferson County Cancer Coalition is a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to cancer victims and their families residing in Jefferson County. The organization was founded by volunteers in an effort to raise funds that assist individuals and families through the difficult times caused by a cancer diagnosis. A variety of fundraising activities occur each year, including the All-Witches Ball, a Tough Mudder obstacle course event and the annual Frosty Pink Balls Golf Outing.

The organization’s board of directors reviews applications for aid, providing assistance such as gas cards to help the patient get to treatments and doctor visits, assistance in paying for costly prescriptions, or covering rent, utilities and grocery costs for families burdened with unforeseen expenses. Benefits are distributed via a voucher. There are no cash payouts. Funds are available to anyone residing in Jefferson County currently diagnosed with cancer and seeking medical care. Verification of residence in Jefferson County is required.

Fort Memorial Hospital is a Pink Ribbon facility, recognized for providing excellence in breast health paired with exceptional commitment and support to the women of our community. If detected early, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer exceeds 96 percent. Mammograms are among the best early detection methods, yet 13 million U.S. women 40 years of age or older have never had a mammogram.

The National Cancer Institute and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend that women in their forties and older have mammograms every one to two years. A complete early detection plan also includes regular clinical breast examinations by a trained medical professional. In addition, monthly breast self-exams are strongly suggested.

For more information on the Fort Memorial Hospital Foundation mammogram vouchers, please contact Sandee Schunk, Jefferson County Health Department at (920) 674-7193.

Photo Caption: Members of the Jefferson County Cancer Coalition recently presented Fort HealthCare with a check in the amount of $2,000. Funds were the proceeds of a variety of events, including the All-Witches Ball, held on Saturday, November 2. Shown at the check presentation ceremony are from left to right: Kim McCrea, DPT, Fort HealthCare director of rehabilitation services, Anne Flemming-Coburn, OTR, Shelly Glass, Jefferson County Cancer Coalition executive director, Tammie Turley, RN, Fort HealthCare Breast Care Program coordinator, Debbie Kraehnke and Sarah Garde, both of the Cancer Coalition, and Dwight Heaney, executive director of the Fort Memorial Hospital Foundation. The check presentation was held in the Fort HealthCare Breast Center, located at Fort Memorial Hospital. The graphic on the wall provides encouragement to Breast Center patients and reads “You are stronger than you seem, braver than you believe, and smarter than you think you are”.