The Foundation for Woman’s recently received a $100,000 grant from The Hearst Foundations for a new Mammography Coach.
Access to mammograms is critical to saving lives. Woman’s Hospital’s current Mammography Coach visits churches, workplaces, grocery stores, community centers and more to offer lifesaving screenings to women in need. Many women who use the coach are minorities, live at or below the federal poverty level or have financial or transportation barriers to accessing care. In 2015, the Mammography Coach provided more than 4,700 screening mammograms and yielded 26 cancer diagnoses.
The grant will assist Woman’s in adding a second coach to its fleet, increasing the number of patients served to nearly 10,000 annually. The current coach alone cannot meet its demand; if a second coach was to hit the road today, it would already have a booked-solid schedule for three months. With an additional coach, service will expand to Iberia, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes for a total of 21 parishes.
The grant will also help Woman’s upgrade its current coach from 2D technology to 3D, which assists in diagnosing cancer as early as possible, when it is most treatable. 3D mammography produces clear, precise images that allow doctors to pinpoint abnormalities with greater accuracy.
“As a result of this generous grant from The Hearst Foundations, women in need will have greater access to healthcare and receive screening mammograms regardless of their ability to pay,” said Beverly Brooks Thompson, PhD, CFRE, Foundation for Woman’s President and Chief Development Officer. “The Mammography Coach is central to our mission to improve the lives of women in our community.”
To learn more about Woman’s Mammography Coach, visit www.womans.org/giving.