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Community Outreach and Philanthropy, (928) 771-5686 | Aug 19, 2015
Replace the word “awareness” with the word “action” and you’ll know Yavapai Regional Medical Center’s (YRMC’s) goal for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October 2015.
“This fall, we’re launching an initiative called Share the Care and asking the community to join us in encouraging women they know and love to get their yearly screening mammograms,” said Robbie Nicol, Executive Director, YRMC Community Outreach and Philanthropy.
Share the Care is part of an effort by YRMC to lower Yavapai County’s incidence of breast cancer, which is the highest in Arizona, by:
- Promoting the importance of annual screening mammography
- Providing screening mammography at no cost to women who lack adequate health coverage through the Community BreastCare Fund
- Offering free Breast Cancer Risk Assessments to women who are concerned they may be at high risk for breast cancer
Why is Share the Care particularly important to the team at the BreastCare Center? Recently, medical professionals at the Center have noticed a disturbing trend: An increase in the number of women being diagnosed with advanced breast cancer.
“It’s heartbreaking to hear women who have come to us for the first time say, ‘I noticed the lump, but I thought it would go away,’” said Nancy Ledoyen, RN, Director, The BreastCare Center at YRMC.
Like the American Cancer Society and the American College of Surgeons, YRMC recommends that screening mammography begin at age 40 and yearly after that.
“We know that screening mammography saves lives,” said Ledoyen. “Our number one goal at the BreastCare Center is to prevent breast cancer. Our number two goal is to find cancer when it’s most treatable.”
YRMC is taking action by providing free screening mammography through the Community BreastCare Fund, which is managed by YRMC. Women throughout western Yavapai County who lack adequate health insurance as well as those with high co-pays or deductibles are eligible for the free mammography screening.
Now, YRMC also is offering free Breast Cancer Risk Assessments. The assessments, which are conducted by a member of the YRMC BreastCare Center clinical team, include a comprehensive history and interview. After the assessment, a woman – and her primary care physician – receive a report that summarizes the woman’s risk for breast cancer. They also are armed with screening and other recommendations from the YRMC BreastCare Center team.
For more information or to schedule an appointment for a screening mammography or Breast Cancer Risk Assessment, contact The BreastCare Center at (928) 442-8900 or 1-877-436-5290.