Gundersen Lutheran receives Avon Breast Health Outreach Program grant

 The Avon Breast Health Outreach Program has awarded a grant to Gundersen Lutheran's Norma J. Vinger Center for Breast Care and Global Partners Program. The $25,000 grant will allow Gundersen Lutheran to provide low-cost or free mammograms and clinical breast exams at the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations in South Dakota. This is the second year in a row Gundersen Lutheran has received a grant from the Avon Foundation for Women.

Gundersen Lutheran's Digital Mobile Mammography Coach and volunteer medical teams will travel to Pine Ridge and Rosebud for 12 days in 2012 to offer the mammograms and clinical breast exams to women. This will be the second year for the program at Pine Ridge and the first year the team will be providing care at the Rosebud Reservation, which neighbors Pine Ridge.

"We are proud the Avon Foundation for Women shares our mission and has chosen to support our program once again. With these funds, we will be able to eliminate barriers that prevent women from seeking and receiving screening services on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations," says Kelly Barton, administrative director, Gundersen Lutheran Norma J. Vinger Center for Breast Care.

The program saw great success in 2011. During their eight days on the Pine Ridge Reservation, Gundersen Lutheran staff and the Walking Forward Cancer Screening Program of Rapid City Regional Healthcare Center, S.D., conducted 178 mammograms via the Mobile Mammography Unit and 195 clinical breast exams for underinsured and uninsured patients. Staff of the Walking Forward Program also led one-hour cancer prevention education sessions.

"The Avon Foundation for Women grant allows us to fulfill a great need. Breast cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for women on these reservations. Often, they simply do not have access to screening services," says Liz Arnold, MPH, program coordinator, Gundersen Lutheran Global Partners.

"Thanks to last year's grant, many women on Pine Ridge were positively impacted by our ability to provide mammograms and clinical breast exams. With the 2012 grant, we'll be able to help even more women as we expand our efforts to include the Rosebud Reservation. This work is literally helping to save lives," she adds.

Along with Gundersen Lutheran, several agencies in South Dakota are involved with the program, including Sanford Health based in Sioux Falls; the Walking Forward Cancer Screening Program; and Indian Health Services on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
To learn more about the Avon Foundation for Women, visit www.avonfoundation.org.