The State of New York has provided $37.7 million in funding as part of the “Get Screened, No Excuses” initiative to improve access to breast cancer screening for New Yorkers. The Funds are being used to support educators in community settings, make patient navigators available to help women as they undergo screening and other necessary follow-up care, and operate mobile mammography vans in underserved neighborhoods to bring health services to New Yorkers. In the Southern Tier the funds will go to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, St James Mercy Hospital, and United Health Services Hospital Breast Center.
Launched in October 2016, 10 peer education programs work within community settings to educate women about the importance of regular breast cancer screening, offer referrals to screening, and provide information to men about prostate cancer. Funding is also supporting the purchase of six new mobile mammography vans that will begin offering breast cancer screenings in 2018 to make it easier for women to get to these services. The funding will enable contractors to form community partnerships across several counties to promote and conduct local breast cancer screening events.
