Komen Foundation Offers Free Mammograms to Latina Women in Camden County

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation has partnered with three area health systems to offer free mammograms for underinsured and uninsured Latinas in Camden County. 

Through the Komen Philadelphia Affiliate Camden County Screening Project, the three health systems—Cooper University Hospital, Lourdes Health System and Virtua—will each provide 100 free mammograms to eligible women. Cherry Hill-based Able Imaging & Women's Center will provide an additional 100 free mammograms for the project. South Jersey Radiology Associates is providing its services for reading the mammograms performed at Virtua for free. 

The Komen Philadelphia Affiliate started the project because breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women of Hispanic/Latin descent, and almost a third of all Latinos in New Jersey have no health insurance.

"To save lives from this horrible disease, we need to come together to break down the cultural barriers that, for far too long, have been preventing Latina women from obtaining the education, mammography and treatment that can save their lives," said Elaine I. Grobman, executive director of the Komen Philadelphia Affiliate. "It's a simple formula: we increase mammography rates and we have a stronger chance of increasing breast cancer survival rates."

Outreach workers from Cooper, Lourdes and Virtua are spreading the word about the program. Women are given one-on-one referral assistance and if they are eligible for the program, will be directed to one of the four screening sites for a mammogram and a follow-up assessment. If an abnormality is discovered on the mammogram, the woman will be assigned a caseworker for additional care.

As part of the project, the Komen Philadelphia Affiliate and the participating health-care providers will host a community breast health educational event this fall for approximately 250 women, as well as participating in Camden's San Juan Bautista Parade, where they will distribute breast-health literature and information on the project.

For more information about the project, go here.