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 White Plains, NY - Westchester residents with little or no health insurance can get lifesaving free or low-cost cancer screening services through the Westchester County Health Department’s Healthy Living Partnership, thanks to two grants.
The Westchester County Health Department announced today that it was awarded a $337,500 grant from New York State to support breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening programs through the Healthy Living Partnership for the next five years.
The County Health Department also was awarded a $75,000 one-year grant from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation to support the Healthy Living Partnership, which improves women’s access to cancer screening and follow up care. For 25 years, Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation has been a national leader in promoting and supporting breast cancer screening for women.
“This funding is very important to us,” said Dr. Joshua Lipsman, Commissioner of Health for Westchester County. “Early detection of cancer through regular screening is the most effective way to reduce cancer deaths. A lack of sufficient health insurance often prevents people from seeking timely cancer screening, so these free or low-cost services, provided by the Healthy Living Partnership and supported by these grants, are truly saving lives.’’
The Healthy Living Partnership offers cancer screening for uninsured and underinsured individuals in Westchester through a provider network. During the 2006 to 2007 grant year, Westchester’s Healthy Living Partnership conducted close to 5,000 clinical breast examinations, nearly 2,000 screening mammograms, more than 400 colorectal cancer screening tests, and nearly 4,000 cervical cancer screenings. Uninsured and underinsured women, ages 19 to 26 can now also receive the Human Papilloma Virus vaccine as part of their annual breast and cervical cancer screening. The HPV vaccine many help prevent certain types of cervical cancer.
Eligible patients diagnosed through the program with breast, cervical, or colon cancer can receive treatment through the Medicaid Cancer Treatment Program.
For more information, call the Westchester County Department of Health at (914) 813-5260 or visit www.westchestergov.com/health.
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