Grant Recipients
Susan G. Komen for the Cure is happy to announce that the North Central
Alabama Affiliate will award $545,000 in community grants for the
2010-2011 fiscal year. These dollars will support the North Central
Alabama area with breast health education and breast cancer screening and
treatment programs.
2010-2011 Community Grants ($545,000 granted)
The Early Detection Program will seek to increase the early stage of diagnosis of breast cancer in women age 40 - 64, residing in the NCA Komen counties, through the provision of screening and diagnostic services. The project will seek to provide services to a minimum of 1,528 during the grant period.
This project is to be used for the continued implementation and expansion of patient support activities in the Joe Lee Griffin Hope Lodge to reduce the number of individuals who die from Breast Cancer in Alabama and to improve the quality of life of all cancer patients both during and after their care. This project will provide a comprehensive approach to ensuring more underserved Alabamians have access to the care and resources they need to increase their chances of surviving cancer. A three-tiered, integrated approach with the Hope Lodge, will be used.
1) Lodging: Provision of free lodging for Breast Cancer patients and their caregiver(s) within a five mile radius to Birmingham's best Cancer Treatment Centers.
2) Education and Support Services: Provision of education and support services to all Hope Lodge patients, including nationally recognized programs of the American Cancer Society (such as I Can Cope classes for newly diagnosed patients and Look Good Feel Better classes, which are particularly valuable to women who want help with hair and makeup and self-confidence during cancer treatment.
3) Transportation: Provision of transportation to and from cancer treatments while staying at the Hope Lodge.
The program will facilitate access to information and resources to patients and families during their time of need during breast cancer.
Breast Cancer survivors experiencing joint or muscle pain and stiffness will participate in aquatics classes and the staff will analyze results to determine the benefits and will share findings with breast cancer providers, support organizations and researchers. Monthly education and support meetings for program participants will be held as well.
This program will utilize the similar model of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Deep South Network for Cancer Control to provide breast cancer education for recruitment and training of grass roots African Americans to serve as Komen Community Health Advisors (K-CHAs).
The goal of Latina Lunches for Health is to bring breast health education and awareness to the Latina population in metro Birmingham. Latina Lunches for health will reach at least 300 Hispanic women and provide each with the tools for a lifetime of breast health, including how to conduct monthly self-exams and how to access mammography services.
This program will identify patients with newly diagnosed triple negative breast cancer through the UAB Cancer Center and Interdisciplinary Breast Clinic at the Kirklin Clinic. Monthly lunches conferences will be held to educate the patients about recent advances in diagnosis and management of triple negative breast cancer as well as discussing principles of clinical research. The program anticipates 1 to 3 newly diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer patients will be identified weekly. The goal is that at least 80% of the patients will participate in the tissue bank protocol and that at least 25% of the patients will participate in therapeutic clinical trials.
