Excellus BlueCross BlueShield recently awarded the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization (FDRHPO) a $5,000 Health and Wellness Award to support their Increased Breast Cancer Screening Through Mobile Mammography Program. The program was created to provide mobile mammography services to the underserved population in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
“We are grateful for this award from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield,” said Joanna Loomis, NCI Deputy Director at FDRHPO. “This project supports a ‘no wrong door’ approach to breast cancer screening. Whether conducted in a brick-and-mortar facility or via a mobile service, we encourage people who are due for a mammography to secure one wherever and however it is most convenient and accessible to them.” As part of their 2022 annual community health survey, FDRHPO learned that approximately 25% of all female respondents between the ages of 50 and 75 had not received a mammogram within the past two years. The program promotes breast cancer screening through digital marketing and outreach to marginalized populations including low-income, elderly, and/or disabled individuals and minorities.
To combat identified barriers including long wait times and transportation issues, the program hosted the SUNY Upstate, Mobile Mammography van in community “hotspot” locations in downtown Watertown. FDRHPO and its clinical partners scheduled dozens of women, some of whom had never received a mammogram. FDRHPO will continue to work with SUNY Upstate by offering 3 additional mobile mammography screening dates in Spring 2024, one in each of Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. (For more information about the dates and locations and/or to sign up, please call FDRHPO at (315) 755-2020, ext. 21.)
The SUNY Upstate mammography team also conducted follow up visits with each screened individual to share their mammography results and arrange for follow-up services as necessary. Given the prevalence of poverty in the region and associated food insecurity, FDRHPO also used grant funding to provide each participant with a box of healthy food and a list of food-related community resources for participants to take with them.
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s Health and Wellness Awards support programs that conduct ongoing work or initiatives designed to improve community health and health outcomes. Health disparities are complex and can have many causes. These awards are given to programs that address specific health conditions or factors linked to health disparities.
“Providing access to high-quality health care is core to our mission as a nonprofit health plan,” said Eve Van de Wal, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield regional president. “We are proud to provide the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization with this health funding to ensure that women in the Watertown area have easy access to vital mammography services.”
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield is committed to supporting local organizations that improve community health. The company’s corporate giving follows all applicable laws and regulations and does not support funding organizations that conflict with its corporate mission, goals, policies, or products.
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s Utica region encompasses Clinton, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Otsego and St. Lawrence counties.
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Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is a nonprofit health plan with 1.5 million upstate New York members. The company's mission is to help people live healthier and more secure lives through access to high-quality, affordable health care. Its products and services include cost-saving prescription drug discounts, wellness tracking tools and access to telemedicine. With more than 4,200 employees, the company is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce to foster innovation and better serve its members. It also encourages employees to engage in their communities by providing paid volunteer time off as one of many benefits. To learn more, visit ExcellusBCBS.com.
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