Get Involved : Komen Connection

Find out how to get involved with your local Komen Acadiana affiliate. Please call 993-5745 for more information.
Check out the Calendar for the Next Komen Connection

2009-10 Grantees 

The Acadiana Affiliate granted over $323,000 to fund the following programs in 2009:

Acadiana Medical Research Foundation The purpose of this grant proposal is to provide funding for mammograms for women 40-49 years of age who otherwise might not be able to afford this life-saving procedure. We are now in our fifth year of this project. Many of the participants are repeat clients who have embraced the importance of annual screenings and return faithfully every year upon notification f a screening event. Screenings are held throughout Acadiana. The screening events are held in the evening to allow women to participate in the program without having to miss work and to facilitate child care. Women are educated on BSE techniques, breast cancer prevention, and breast cancer. The target population for this program is women who are uninsured, underinsured, and who meet financial guidelines. If a woman has an abnormal mammogram, funding is provided through LBCHP to get to the point of diagnosis. Once diagnosed with breast cancer, there is a mechanism in place to facilitate speedy enrollment into a special section of Medicaid specifically for breast and cervical cancer. If all guidelines are met, patients are notified of enrollment into Medicaid within one week. At that point, referrals are made to begin treatment for breast cancer.

Faith House, Inc. An education and screening project will assist a medically underserved population-the residents of a shelter (Faith House) for victims of domestic violence and the members of weekly support groups. Faith House is a crisis shelter for women and children and provides services for the five parish rural area of Lafayette, Evangeline, St. Landry, Vermilion, and Acadia. The education and screening of women in these parishes with the exception of Evangeline parish will aid in the mission of eradicating breast cancer. Educational materials will include classes related to risk factors, self-breast examinations using simulated models, demonstrations, and return demonstrations and will be at the level of understanding of the women. Women will be supervised in performing their own self-breast examinations. The women will be given written instructions at their level of reading comprehension to use as a reference. Appropriate referrals will be made for women to have mammograms when needed and the women will be assisted in making appointments and traveling to the location for the mammogram.

Iberia Comprehensive Community Health Center, Inc. The purpose of the ICCHC Preventive Breast Cancer Services Access program is to improve access to early breast cancer detection services to vulnerable populations of Iberia, St. Martin and Vermilion parishes. Key activities of this program will include mammography services for uninsured women over the age of 40 who haven't had a mammogram in the past year and breast health education with a focus on the African American community through partnerships with local churches. We will use attendance list and satisfaction surveys to evaluate the education programs and ICCHC's electronic medical records system to track appropriate variables (age, race, insurance status, completed breast exams, mammograms and follow up) to determine the program's success. We expect the program to provide mammography services to approximately 200 women and reach 400 women through our education initiative at a cost of $30,130.

Lafayette Community Health Care Clinic The Lafayette Community Health Care Clinic (Clinic) provides non-emergency healthcare services to low income, working, uninsured Lafayette Parish residents at no cost to the patients. Since 2002, grants from Susan G. Komen for the Cure have enabled the Clinic to provide its "Mammograms for Life" program, which provides breast imaging and other procedures to aid in the diagnosis of breast disease. To date, 4 women have been diagnosed with breast cancer, referred for treatment and given the best chance for an optimal outcome. Hundreds more have benefited from short term follow-up and annual screening. In 2009, the Clinic expects to provide 210 breast imaging procedures to 175 women who may otherwise not have access to these potentially life-saving services. Women participating in the "Mammograms for Life" program are provided the same level of care as those fortunate enough to have private healthcare coverage, giving them the peace of mind that comes from access to preventive health services and access to medical care to achieve the best possible outcome for identified conditions. The program's effectiveness will be measured by the degree to which each goal and objective is achieved.

Miles Perret Cancer Services believes exercise, education, and support, can be used to improve and enhance the recovery of breast cancer survivors. This 10 week cancer rehab program is designed to improve the quality of life for breast cancer survivors. With input and in collaboration with the medical community, this program seeks to empower breast cancer survivors to make healthy lifestyle choices that will improve the quality of life of patients and their families. A recently completed MPCS pilot program showed that strength, endurance, and flexibility can improve with individualized exercise prescriptions and group support. Most importantly, fatigue management and quality of life improved over time. the goal is to reach underserved parishes of St. Landry, St. Marin, and Vermilion to provide a program of exercise and education intervention to make a positive change in the lives of breast cancer patients and survivors. Key activities include specially targeted supervised exercises and education instruction by an exercise specialist and dietician resulting in measurable increases in strength and endurance, and leading to lasting healthy lifestyle changes during and after recovery.

Opelousas General Health System Breast Cancer Awareness Program . "Paint the Town Pink" Opelousas General Health System (OGHS) is a "Public Trust", seeking resources to help set up a hospital based outreach and education program that offers a breast cancer support group and no-cost screening for eligible women in St. Landry Parish who have little or no health insurance. The idea behind this program is to raise awareness about breast cancer and encourage women to seek early screening, which saves lives. Four annually breast cancer support group meetings would be held in an effort to reduce breast cancer fears through the support of breast cancer survivor volunteers. OGHS will also host a "Paint the Town Pink" campaign in the month of October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This campaign will increase the community's awareness of services available to patients in need of cancer screening, treatment, and follow-up by (1) providing educational materials, (2) offering free breast cancer risk assessments for women, and (3) scheduling recruited patients for annual mammograms.

Sallie Astor Burdine Foundation Lafayette Affiliate The Sallie Astor Burdine Breast Foundation and OncoLogics, Inc . request funds to subsidize breast cancer patients ("Patients") for medical costs during radiation therapy. Our target is up to 50 Patients with up to $1,000 each for uncovered medical costs incurred during radiation therapy. Assistance may exceed $1,000 per patients, in extreme circumstances only, while staying within the mission to serve at least 50 patients. Targeted parishes are Lafayette, Acadia, Iberia, St. Landry, St. Martin, and Vermilion. Assistance may include payments for radiation treatment, medication and medical expenses incurred during the course of radiation therapy. Evaluation methods will include reviews of applicants' expenditures to determine if targeted numbers of Patients are being assisted, whether patients who would otherwise not receive treatment are being helped, and whether that treatment has affected their outcomes (when possible). We believe this program will provide needed medical care that may otherwise not be attainable. We hope the program will decrease financial and emotional stress faced by Patients. We anticipate the impact will increase long term survival rates for Patients.

Sallie Astor Burdine Foundation Lafayette Affiliate The Sallie Astor Burdine Breast Foundation requests funds to partner with OncoLogics, Inc. to provide Gentlewaves treatment to breast cancer patients ("Patients") in New Iberia. Patients receiving Gentlewaves treatment while undergoing radiation treatment have increased protection form skin reactions (including radiation dermatitis). Skin reactions sometimes cause temporary interruption in treatment while the skin heals, which may reduce the effectiveness of treatment. Targeted Patients reside in the Parishes of Iberia, Vermilion, and St. Martin, rural areas that have previously been unable to receive this treatment without traveling to Lafayette. Key activities include the purchase of equipment, training employees, administering treatment, and educating patients about treatment availability. Evaluation will include tracking Patients to determine how many still experience skin reactions, the severity of reactions, the decrease in treatment interruption, and the number of patients receiving treatment - target is 30. We believe Gentlewaves treatment in New Iberia will reduce the number of patients who experience skin reactions while undergoing radiation therapy.

Southwest Louisiana Area Health Education Center The mission of Southwest Louisiana Area Health Education Center (SWLAHEC) is to improve health status through access to information, education and health services. Our mission fits perfectly with the Susan G. Komen priority area of projects focusing on breast health education to under-served parishes. This grant proposes that a Breastcare Coordinator (BCC) work with women in medically under-served communities to educate on the importance of self-breast exams, and aid in accessing women to clinical breast exams and screenings. The Project Coordinator will work with area providers, who are enrolled, to ensure that women who qualify for the program are able to receive a clinical breast exam or further screening at a rate that is comparable to their income. Furthermore, the BCC will assist women with appointments and follow-up. The BCC will make the appointment, send a reminder card and then follow-up with client. Those who have an abnormal finding will be assisted through referrals and support groups. BCC will reach women through health fairs, church settings, work related events, festivals and other public engagement opportunities. When necessary, the SWLAHEC mobile health unit will travel to rural areas to reach women where they are and provide a private setting.