DOH Promise Fund event in Stuart gets mammogram screenings for dozens of women

Dozens of women showed up to get free mammograms at the Promise Fund event in Stuart. Image via Florida Department of Health.

More than three dozen women took advantage of free mammograms in Stuart last week as part of the Florida Department of Health (DOH) event.

The DOH held the “Mammograms for Mami” breast cancer screening event in the Treasure Coast, hoping to draw underserved women from that town and the surrounding areas. The event also offered health care access for other issues faced by local women in that Florida region who are uninsured or underinsured and can’t afford early detection services.

Some 41 women accepted free mammograms; five received the HPV vaccine, and five new women were enrolled in the Promise Fund’s health program, which includes follow-up care services.

The Promise Fund is a state-organized effort to enhance the number of survivors of breast and cervical cancer. That objective is augmented by providing access to screenings and early detection treatment for underinsured women. The DOH estimates that about 66,000 South Florida women alone have participated in the program.

The event in Stuart proved to be a success, according to organizers.

“This event reflects exactly why Nancy Brinker created the Promise Fund – to ensure that every woman, regardless of her ZIP code, income, or insurance status, has access to lifesaving cancer screenings and treatments,” said Audrey Brown, CEO of the Promise Fund. “Early detection can be the difference between receiving lifesaving treatment or a terminal diagnosis, and by providing equitable access to care, the Promise Fund is making strides to eliminate the disparities that disproportionately impact uninsured or underinsured women living below the poverty line.”

Officials with the event said the Promise Fund’s important reach for those who need it cannot be overestimated.

“We know that women with limited financial means are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage cancer,” said Patricia Ferrer, a Promise Fund community health navigator. “Our role as community health navigators is to remove the obstacles that stand between women and the care they deserve. By providing free screenings and direct access to follow-up care, we’re giving women a better chance at survival with the same care and compassion we would want for our loved ones.”