Current Grant Recipients

These projects have been selected by our independent Grant Review Panel as those that will have the greatest impact in serving uninsured or underinsured women in our service area. Please note that Susan G. Komen is not a direct service provider. The Memorial Affiliate of Susan G. Komen has awarded $610,911.00 in grants to local agencies for programs which provide breast health awareness, education, screening, and treatment.

Seventy-five percent of net proceeds raised from Memorial Affiliate events remain in Central Illinois and twenty-five percent supports the Susan G. Komen National Grant Program for breast cancer research to benefit women throughout the United States and the world.  Since its establishment, The Memorial Affiliate of Susan G. Komen has awarded more than $9 million to Central Illinois agencies for breast health awareness, education, screening, and treatment.

Boys & Girls Club Of Greater Peoria, Inc., Peoria, IL - $8,100.00
Project Director:   Barbara Gordon         Phone:  (309) 685-6007       E-Mail:  bgordon@bgcpeoria.org
The Boys and Girls Clubs’ project will be used to increase awareness and to change people’s beliefs and attitudes about breast cancer. Breast cancer facts will be presented during quarterly group sessions on-site at the Peoria Friendship House, the Boys Girls Clubs and during home visits throughout the year.  Sessions on-site at the PFH and the BGC will be co-facilitated by community health staff and Boys & Girls Clubs staff.  Participants will complete a pre test, enjoy a light lunch or a nutritious snack, receive breast health/cancer education, complete a post test and interact with facilitators. This project will target the medically underserved, uninsured, or underinsured women, teen parents and teen members within the Peoria Friendship House and the Boy and Girls Clubs. This project will include the 6th Annual Latino Women’s Wellness Fair, the African American’s 11th Annual Community Wellness & Health Fair, and coordinating and co-facilitating African American Church health fairs. The mobile mammography Unit will be on-site for women to complete their mammograms. Free health screenings, referrals and related health agencies with table top displays will distribute literature, showcase services, answer questions and provide demonstrations. Door Prizes will be awarded every 30 minutes and a light lunch or nutritious snacks will be offered

Cancer Center For Healthy Living Inc., Peoria, IL - $11,291.00
Project Director:   Kathryn Bieneman      Phone:  (309) 693-8139       E-Mail:  kbienemann@cchlpeoria.org
The purpose of this Cancer Center for Healthy Living program is to provide supportive and educational services to cancer patients and their caregivers. The key activities will include support groups, individual counseling, and educational seminars free of charge for people who have or ever had breast cancer and for their caregivers. The program will be evaluated by having the survivors or caregivers complete an initial survey rating overall “Quality of Life” before participating in the program. Group participants will complete a second survey after 3 months of group attendance. Individual counseling participants will complete a second survey either after 3 months of counseling, or at the end of their final counseling session. The survey will evaluate whether the patient or caregiver perceives that he or she received the expected benefits of the program and whether their quality of life has improved since they began receiving services. Through this program, Cancer Center for Healthy Living expects to help cancer patients and their caregivers to improve coping skills, self advocacy, self efficacy, anxiety management, and quality of life in the domains of psychological well-being and social well-being.

Cancer Center For Healthy Living, Inc., Peoria, IL - $7,242.00
Project Director:   Sharon Windsor          Phone:  (309) 243-3462       E-Mail:  swindsor@cchlpeoria.org
The Cancer Center for Healthy Living will address nutrition, physical activity, and weight management to provide a comprehensive, holistic approach to well-being, increased survival, and quality of life issues for breast cancer survivors through a variety of approaches intended to meet individual preferences. Programs will be evaluated through questionnaires, attendance rates, and by tracking web library activity, as well as projected mass media contact. Our programs are designed to appeal to survivors, caregivers, and the general public to improve awareness of breast cancer and its prevention over a diverse ethnic and socioeconomic population. 

Cancer Legal Resource Center- Disability Legal Rights Center, Chicago, IL - $5,427.00
Project Director:   Monica Bryant            Phone:  (773) 750-3063       E-Mail:  Joanna.Morales@lls.edu
The Cancer Legal Resource Center (CLRC), a joint program of the Disability Rights Legal Center and Loyola Law School, is the only national center that provides free information and resources on cancer-related legal issues to breast cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and others. Those without information about their legal rights and options are less likely to receive optimum health care and are more likely to experience increased stress, anxiety, late-stage diagnoses, and lower survival rates. We propose a multi-tiered approach to serve individuals who are underserved, uninsured, or underinsured, or who lack resources and knowledge to access healthcare, insurance, and other benefits. The CLRC will serve these individuals by: updating and distributing an educational manual on cancer-related legal issues in Illinois; hosting educational seminars for KMASA residents; conducting an awareness campaign about CLRC services; and directly assisting KMASA residents through our toll-free Telephone Assistance Line (TAL). Evaluation methods will include recording demographics of individuals served, conducting pre- and post-tests during educational events, and distributing evaluation surveys to event attendees and follow up questionnaires to TAL callers. Our program will reach KMASA communities to help eliminate disparities in access to healthcare, increase access to screening and treatment, and improve quality of life and survival rates for individuals with breast cancer.

Central Illinois Chapter, The Links Incorporated, Bloomington, IL - $13,021.00
Project Director:   Wilma Bates               Phone:  (309) 663-9395       E-Mail:  Wilma24@msn.com
The Central Illinois chapter of The Links Incorporated is proud to present Taking STEPS Together (Screening, Treatment and Education Program).  The purpose of our program is to educate and inform African American women of all ages on the importance of breast health and the need for mammogram screenings.  Through workshops presented by local health professionals that include how to perform a self-breast exam properly, dispel misinformation about mammograms, making healthy lifestyle choices through diet and exercise, we are able to provide a wealth of information.  We evaluate all participants through surveys that question when last their last mammogram screening was done, healthy breast knowledge and the commitment to perform monthly self-breast exams. The impact of our program will lead to a great understanding of the importance of breast health, how to become more proactive in health care, the importance of healthy life style choices, and the vital need of mammogram screenings for women over 40, and for those that may have a family history of cancer.

Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, Champaign, IL - $28,350.00
Project Director:   Cathy Propst               Phone:  (217) 531-2916       E-Mail:  cpropst@c-uphd.org
This project will identify uninsured women, 40 – 49 years of age in need of breast cancer screening. The Komen: IBCCP Mammograms Save Lives grant monies will provide screening mammograms for the identified women. CUPHD IBCCP grant funds will provide clinical breast exams as well as diagnostic services for those with an abnormal screening mammogram and/or clinical breast exam. Eligible women diagnosed with breast cancer will be referred to the Medicaid BCCP Treatment Act. Our goal is to provide screening mammograms for 332 low-income, uninsured women, 40 – 49 years of age from Champaign, McLean, and Vermilion Counties in Illinois.   Data regarding mammograms provided is tracked via entries into the IDPH Cornerstone Computer system and a CUPHD Excel database. Monthly provider reimbursement and statistics are accomplished through reports printed from these databases. Therefore, it is easy to track the usage of the Komen funds and the women receiving these mammograms.

Community Cancer Center Foundation, Normal, IL - $32,400.00
Project Director:   Becky Powell              Phone:  (309) 451-8500       E-Mail:  bpowell@cancercenter.org
Pink Partners of the Community Cancer Center™ is a community wide, multi-year initiative to raise the mammography rate in an effort to save lives lost to breast cancer.  The program includes educational outreach activities targeting African American, Hispanic, and rural women in McLean and the six surrounding counties, access to a certified breast health navigator, financial assistance for mammograms and/or diagnostic procedures for uninsured or underinsured women, as well as transportation funding to get women to mammogram or breast cancer treatment appointments.  The goal for this project is to raise the number of women getting mammograms by 1% which will be measured through the continued collection of mammogram data from all the mammography facilities in McLean County.  By eliminating educational, financial, and transportation barriers this project can impact the number of women seeking mammograms which in turn can save lives through early detection.

Douglas County Health Department, Tuscola, - $12,150.00
Project Director:   Jane Jones     Phone:   (217) 253-4137      E-Mail:  jjones@douglascountyhealth.org
Purpose: To educate the underserved women of Douglas County being a rural county, especially the African American, Amish, Hispanic populations, to appropriate breast health care and to help provide transportation to the mobile mammogram from Sarah Bush Health Center when in the area. Education will be provided by the Health Department in affiliation with Mi Raza, the Hispanic community center for the Hispanic population, and with local doctors and health care clinics for the Amish and other rural populations of Douglas County.  Evaluation will be done by comparing 2011 statistics of mammograms provided by Sarah Bush Health Center with the grant year’s statistics.  The impact of this grant will be to educate the underserved rural populations of Douglas County about breast care health and the importance of regular mammograms.

Friends of St. John’s Hospital, Springfield, IL - $17,820.00
Project Director:   Beverly Wainman   Phone: (217) 544-6464   E-Mail: Beverly.wainman@st-johns.org
St. John’s Hospital will work with our College of Nursing to train new parish nurses to provide education and awareness to women living in rural areas and African American women in nine counties.  Through our Parish Nursing Program, we will reach our targeted populations with breast cancer awareness information to at least 500 women and provide assistance with transportation costs in order to provide further assistance to women to get screening mammograms with the Community Grant Funds from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Memorial Affiliate. These parish nurses will provide a survey at the end of the meeting, and hand out a pink card to be redeemed at St. John’s mammography facilities for a gas card. The number of cards redeemed will indicate breast care engagement.  Additionally, St. John’s Birth Center will expand a new creative way to bring awareness to breast cancer awareness during October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  St. John’s Birth Center will wrap both girls and boys in pink blankets in October.  Parents also receive a tag on the blanket explaining why their sons and daughters are “sporting” pink.  In order to enhance the quality of care for women with breast cancer, specifically those of low income, African American and those living in rural areas, St. John’s Center for Living will offer acupuncture services for treatment of radiation-associated fatigue and an all day Living with Breast Cancer retreat.

Fulton County Health Department, Canton, IL - $19,440.00
Project Director:   Theresa Bankert         Phone: (309) 647-1134       E-Mail:  tbankert@fultonco.org
A primary focus for Fulton County Health Department will be to increase breast self awareness through education, access to screening and early detection. Education will include risk assessment, screening information and healthy lifestyle choices. We will target identified high risk geographic areas and populations in an effort to reduce rates of breast cancer incidence and mortality. We will facilitate an existing breast cancer support group for newly diagnosed survivors and their families in Fulton County.  We will network with area providers, hospitals and other grantees to ensure early and thorough access to all available services. Staff will monitor each client from program entry to completion of services.

Hancock County Health Department, Carthage, IL - $16,686.00
Project Director:   Maureen Crawford      Phone:  (217) 357-2171       E-Mail:  stephaniewilley@hchd1.org
Too many Hancock County women die from breast cancer.  The rate of breast cancer deaths in Hancock County women (33.8 per 100,000) is 43% higher than the unacceptably high national average of 23.61 per 100,000.  Early detection and diagnosis leading to early treatment greatly increase a woman’s chances of survival. Regular mammography is key to early detection and early diagnosis. This project will not only deliver this message to Hancock County women, but will also inspire and enable these women to translate their knowledge into potentially lifesaving action. The Hancock County Health Department will use Community Grant funds from the Memorial Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure to provide screening and diagnostic mammograms and ultrasounds for income eligible women aged 40 years or older (or younger women who are high-risk or symptomatic) who lack the resources to obtain these services for themselves. Success of the program will be demonstrated by number of women served and the number of services provided, as well as the numbers of persons educated about the vital importance of regular screenings. Comprehensive education that increases awareness, promotes good breast health, and encourages participation in regular screenings will be provided to persons of all ages in an effort to increase the numbers of women screened and to reduce morbidity and mortality from breast cancer in Hancock County.

Heartland Community Health Clinic, Peoria, IL - $20,250.00
Project Director:   Mary Auer                 Phone:  (309) 680-7631       E-Mail:  mauer@heartlandchc.org
The Heartland Healthy Patient Initiative is an educational program for low-income, medically underserved patients who receive health services at one of Heartland’s clinics.  During regularly scheduled appointments for pap smears and clinical breast exams female patients will be educated about personal risk factors for breast cancer and discuss plans to reduce those risks, including monthly self breast exam (SBE).  Bi-weekly breast education classes will be offered for patients to view an educational video and palpate breast models to help them distinguish between normal and abnormal breast tissue.  Patients will receive valuable information about the three steps that are most important to breast health, self-breast examination, clinical breast examination and mammography.  Uninsured women attending the breast education classes who are 40 years of age or older will be referred for free breast screening services through the Illinois Breast and Cervical Program (IBCCP).  The program will be evaluated by tracking the number of patients receiving clinical breast exams, those attending the bi-weekly breast education classes, and all patients attending the classes who were referred to the IBCCP for breast screening services.  The likely impact of this program is an increase in breast health awareness including the importance of early detection through self-breast examination, clinical breast examination, and mammography.

Heartland Community Health Clinic, Peoria, IL - $58,320.00
Project Director:   Mary Auer                 Phone:  (309) 680-7631       E-Mail:  mauer@heartlandchc.org
Heartland Community Health Clinic will provide breast health services to women in Peoria, Woodford, and Marshall Counties with emphasis on African American women in rural areas.  A comprehensive program of services will include providing breast health information during outreach at health fairs and churches, maintaining a network of medical providers for clinical services, scheduling uninsured women for breast screening services, reimbursing designated breast health screening services for uninsured women, and providing direct follow-up case management services to assure women with abnormal screening results receive appropriate follow-up care.  An important aspect of the program includes participating in activities to increase the capacity in the community by strengthening local breast health advocacy coalitions.  Evaluation of the program will include reports of the number of women receiving education through outreach, women in minority populations, and number of women receiving mammograms and other breast health services.  The impact on the community will be an increased capacity for services through coalition building, increased breast health awareness through education, and increased number of uninsured and minority women receiving breast health services.

Heartland Community Health Clinic, Peoria, IL - $9,720.00
Project Director:   Mary Auer                 Phone:  (309) 680-7631       E-Mail:  mauer@heartlandchc.org
Central Illinois suffers a higher breast cancer mortality rate than either the state or national averages. Among those who die, African American women make up twice as many as white women. One survey indicated that eight out of ten African American women identified those barriers to access healthcare contributed to their lack of treatment. Heartland is committed to reducing these statistics within our community by making mammogram screening more accessible to local African American women and by providing them the referral and/or counseling services they require to attain appropriate care. To do this, HCHC will partner with local hospitals and will provide outreach, incentives, and transportation to participants to ensure they arrive for their mammogram appointments. The program will be evaluated by tracking the number of patients scheduled for mammograms, the number of patients seen, the number of patients requiring a subsequent referral, and the number of patients who are in compliance with their referrals. The likely impact of this program is an increase in early breast cancer detection among African American women in our community due to greater availability for patients to access mammogram screening.

Hult Center for Health Education, Peoria, IL - $12,934.00
Project Director:   Anne Howerton           Phone:  (309) 692-6650       E-Mail:  ahowerton@hult-health.org
The Hult Center's Breast Self-Awareness program is designed to increase the number of young females aware of the importance of breast health and performing a monthly breast self-exam.  Professional health educators will travel to schools t implement an interactive breast health program.  Each student will be able to participate in the program by using hand-held keypads to answer pre and post test questions, as well as being given an opportunity to perform a self-exam on breast models.  Teen students participating in the program will also be encouraged to take home the message of how important preventative breast health is by passing on a breast health information booklet to important adult females in their lives.  The program sill impact many female teens and adults within the Memorial Affiliate coverage area. 

Hult Center for Health Education, Peoria, IL - $24,300.00
Project Director:   Anne Howerton           Phone:  (309) 692-6650       E-Mail:  ahowerton@hult-health.org
The purpose of the Kids Konnected program is to provide compassion; support, friendship, and learning for kids whose lives are impacted by a parent or caregiver with cancer.  During 2012-2013, Kids Konnected will focus on the following: cultivating the relationship between Illinois CancerCare and Kids Konnected to increase program referrals; increasing participants from African American and rural communities; implementing off-site programming; heavily marketing he Kids Konnected program to the communities of Central Illinois in an effort to raise awareness and increase participation; and develop a program for individual youth counseling.  The Kids Konnected facilitators will be implementing multiple different measurement tools to measure each participant's quality of life.  The program is estimated to assist hundreds of individuals, both adults and children, within Central Illinois through their family's cancer journey.

Institute Of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Peoria, IL - $4,050.00
Project Director:   Molly Nettles,              Phone:  (309) 692-8110       E-Mail:  Molly.nettles@ipmr.org
The purpose of this project is to provide a program of controlled exercise through weight lifting for those at risk for or suffering from lymphedema related to breast cancer treatment.  Prior to participation, each participant will undergo an evaluation by a certified lymphedema therapist.  Participants will attend twice-weekly weight training exercise sessions in order to increase strength, lower body fat, improve bone health, and improve functional quality of life.  Body mass index (BMI) measures and strength testing measurements will be taken at initial evaluation and monitored throughout duration of participation.  This program is designed to provide a weight training program in a safe and supervised environment for those suffering from or at risk for lymphedema.

Knox County Health Department, Galesburg, IL - $22,194.00
Project Director:   Rhonda Peterson   Phone: (309) 344-3314   E-Mail:  rpeterson@knoxcountyhealt.org The Knox County Health Department (KCHD) along with the Women’s Health Clinic, (housed in the same building) will provide breast health education, awareness and screening opportunities to uninsured, underinsured and low income Knox County men and women.  The program has a focus on the rural population and minority groups. Outreach is conducted through face to face contacts in the Women’s Clinic, advertising in County farm magazines and flyers, and local church groups.  The KCHD and the Women’s Clinic will also focus outreach and education to the Hispanic/Latina population.  A Peace Corps Fellow that is bilingual in Spanish will begin an 11 month fellowship with the organization in January 2012.  The Peace Corps Fellow will make contacts; build bridges and relationships throughout the Hispanic/Latina community.  The importance for high risk populations in Knox County to be educated, raise awareness and have mammogram screenings are essential for increased early detection, increased survival rates from breast cancer, and increased quality of life.  The Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program along with funding from the Susan G. Komen Foundation will allow the high risk population to access these services.

Livingston County Public Health Department, Pontiac, IL - $16,200.00
Project Director:   Linda Rhodes              Phone:  (815) 844-7174       E-Mail:  lrhodes@lchd.us
Komen for the Cure in Livingston County will decrease breast cancer morbidity and mortality rates of women in this rural community.  The Livingston County Health Department and its partners will conduct the Pink Porches Campaign (PPC), Volley for the Cure (VFC) and distribute newsletters to increase women’s awareness of breast health and local services available.  This project will remove the barrier of ‘lack of transportation’ to screening and diagnostic mammograms and access to treatment services by providing women with gas cards. Out-reach to medical providers will serve to increase the number of women receiving mammograms thru IBCCP and Komen funds for women not covered by other means.  Evaluation of the project will include: tracking number of women reached, expansion of PPC and VFC events, and gas cards requested. Effectiveness of out-reach to medical providers, Farm Bureau and U of I Extension newsletter, and partnership with Evergreen FS will be measured by women’s response to how they learned of services on enrollment forms.  Increase in breast health and services knowledge will be measured by surveys at VFC and family planning clinics.  Increase in knowledge via presentations will be measured by pre/post tests.  The anticipated impact of the program is an increase in breast self-awareness, knowledge of breast cancer risk factors and awareness of local services that will lead to an increase in annual mammograms and appropriate diagnostic services and treatment.

Logan County Department of Public Health, Lincoln, IL - $9,680.00
Project Director:   Marcia Dowling          Phone:  (217) 735-2317       E-Mail:  mdowling@lcdph.org
Logan County Department of Public Health (LCDPH) IBCCP lead agency covers breast health services for women in eight counties recently added to the Susan G. Komen Memorial Affiliate.  Funding is being requested to (1) increase awareness about breast cancer among women in the Komen Memorial Service Area, especially women living in rural areas and minority women, and to (2) overcome barriers of access and knowledge deficits.  Both of these goals will be reached through education of current and prospective healthcare providers, events in accessible venues, and development and dissemination of culturally appropriate breast health education.  In addition to minority populations of African American and Hispanic, we specifically seek to reach the growing African French population.  Outreach will be done through multi-interagency networking, links to Komen resources on the LCDPH website, support of activities in the lead agency counties that reach the target groups of women.  Evaluation will be achieved through tracking numbers of women reached and number of healthcare providers reached.  Grant funding will allow us to reach growing minority populations with breast health education.

McDonough County Health Department, Macomb, IL - $12,150.00
Project Director:   Amy McCallister         Phone:  (309) 837-9951       E-Mail:  amccallister@mchdept.com
The purpose of our program at McDonough County Health Department for the Breast Cancer Screening, Early Detection, and Follow-Up is to provide screening and early detection, with referral and follow-up services, to women in our target population which is our impact goal as well.  Our target population is women between 40-49 years of age, low income, and uninsured or underinsured as well as predominantly Caucasian.  We will provide or participate in a variety of outreach activities to educate our residents about breast cancer, breast cancer risk factors, and who is eligible for our program, which will allow us to recruit participants for the program at the outreach activities such as health fairs, community events, educational tables, and more. The health department will attain and evaluate of goals through the outreach activities and within the health department’s programs including collaborative outreach with social service agencies/hospital activities, medical providers, and multi-media outlets throughout rural/urban McDonough and surrounding counties by documenting the number of individuals that received educational materials, discussion of the program, with a staff member, and documenting the number of outreach activities that will be participated in during the grant cycle. We will also document the number of women reached and served will be documented through billing procedures and medical case management.

McLean County Health Department, Bloomington, IL - $24,300.00
Project Director:   Jan Morris   Phone:    (309) 888-5446 E-Mail:  Jan.morris@mcleancountyil.gov
McLean County Health department will conduct an educational program, Your Health in Your Hands for rural women. Approximately 20% of the county population lives in rural McLean County. Few social services or educational programs are available and none of the four mammography sites in the county are located in the 20 rural communities. Public transportation is not available in rural McLean County and affects the ability of these women to utilize clinical breast health services and other educational programs. Mammography rates have decreased in the last several years and this program will stress the importance of yearly mammograms. Numerous events and locations have been identified as potential venues for breast health education. Outreach sites include presentations to women’s organizations, churches, health fairs, and community events. Educational materials will be distributed to rural banks, rural beauty salons, and libraries. The health department will collaborate with the rural school districts to help plan athletic events and work with rural businesses to provide educational materials. A social media campaign will also help to stress the message. All these activities will increase awareness for women to take their health in their hands and seek yearly mammograms. The goal of the program is to provide breast health education to more than 10,000 rural McLean County women in 2012 - 2013.

Methodist Medical Center Foundation, Peoria, IL - $18,923.00
Project Director:   Kelly Frick, RTRM      Phone:  (309) 671-7779       E-Mail:  kfrick@mmci.org 
This collaborative program serves patients of Methodist, OSF Saint Francis, and Proctor Hospital breast services. The program is administered by the Methodist Medical Center.  Breast cancer patients who need and qualify for financial assistance can receive support for the purchase of post-surgical camisoles; specialty bras, breast prostheses, and wigs or other head coverings that will help the patient feel more comfortable during and after treatment for breast cancer.   Studies have shown that these items contribute to the patient’s feeling of well-being and assist them in dealing positively with their disease.  Educational materials are made available to all patients diagnosed with breast cancer regardless of financial resources.

Methodist Medical Center Foundation, Peoria, IL - $72,900.00
Project Director:   Kelly Frick, RTRM      Phone:  (309) 671-7779       E-Mail:  kfrick@mmci.org
The focus of this initiative is to increase the number of African American women, Hispanic women and women who are underserved/underinsured who receive breast health screening through mammography, thereby improving chances for early detection and successful treatment of breast cancer in these populations.  Identification, education, incentives, and improved access to services will all be components of the program.  A BRA outreach educator position will be necessary in order to implement the functions critical to success.  The BRA outreach educator will connect underserved women with breast health services and help them obtain the necessary care and treatment through the Methodist Breast Health Navigator when needed.  BRA provides comfort, support, protection, and “lift” that a woman needs to overcome her hesitations about breast health assessment.

Montgomery County Health Department, Hillsboro, IL - $3,240.00
Project Director:   Pam Johnson              Phone:  (217) 532-2001       E-Mail:  phnursing@consolidated.net 
The Montgomery County Health Department will provide educational material promoting breast health and the importance of early detection and encouraging screenings.  This will be done through a direct mailing, health fairs, and at sporting events.  The main focus will be in Macoupin County, Illinois.  The Montgomery County Health Department will also provide transportation assistance through gas cards for those individuals who would be unable to keep their appointments without them.  The Health Department will also provide free diagnostic mammograms for women and men in the low income, underinsured, and uninsured, 40-49 year old target population.  The Health Department currently has Komen funding which pays for initial screenings.  The current statistical information shows that approximately 1 out of every 5 individuals receiving a breast screening require diagnostic services.

OSF Saint Francis Medical Center Foundation, Peoria, IL - $34,020.00
Project Director:   Lisa Steil                    Phone:  (309) 683-5328       E-Mail:  lisa.r.steil@osfhealthcare.org
The Breast Health Community Outreach and Recruitment Program will improve access to care by providing mammograms, transportation and breast health education to those in need in our community.  OSF Saint Francis will hire a Breast Health Educator dedicated to reaching out to women in the underserved communities by arranging opportunities for access to mammograms, breast health education and risk reduction.  Methods to achieve these goals will be through arranging community days, van transportation, and educational programs as well as providing one-on-one teaching, gas cards and partnering with other experts in breast health and risk reduction.  The target populations will be uninsured, underinsured, African American and Hispanic populations, rural population and women of screening mammogram age that do not know about or do not follow screening mammogram guidelines.

OSF-Saint Francis Foundation, Peoria, IL - $1,438.00
Project Director:   Tenille Oderwald Phone: (309) 683-5324 E-Mail:    tenille.m.oderwald@osfhealthcare.org
The Prophylactic Lymphedema Program is a collaborative effort between OSF Saint Francis Medical Center and Methodist Medical Center to provide patients with a full auxiliary lymph node dissection a prophylactic compression sleeve, medical lymphedema alert bracelet and education.  Evaluation will be based upon the number of participants of the grant.

OSF-Saint Francis Foundation, Peoria, IL - $14,580.00
Project Director:   Tenille Oderwald Phone: (309) 683-5324 E-Mail:    tenille.m.oderwald@osfhealthcare.org
OSF Medical Center and Methodist Medical Center of Illinois collaborate on a structure of care program thru Pink Link, to provide financial assistance to newly diagnosed patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The program provides expediency in meeting needs through the provision of gas and grocery cards for low income patients or middle income patients experiencing extenuating financial circumstances.  A survey conducted by the Association of Oncology Social Work shows that over 50% of cancer patients indicate cancer costs negatively impact their focus on recovery. Sixty-three percent of oncology social workers surveyed said financial issues reduce patients’ compliance with their cancer treatment even though that treatment is key to their recovery. (Social Work Today, March/April 2010, The Financial Burden of Cancer Care, Jennifer Mellace)  We have provided this program for the past three years with great success and measure results based on patients served. 70% of total cards will be allocated to low and limited income patients with remaining cards serving patients with extenuating financial circumstances such as high deductibles, who are not able to work due to diagnosis, etc.  Reducing financial stressors helps allow for the patient’s main focus to be on their recovery verses financial stressors. Provision of gas cards allows for continuum of care without interruption due to patient financial hardship from repeat car travel to treatment facilities.

Sangamon County Department of Public Health, Springfield, IL - $12,150.00
Project Director:   James Stone                Phone:  (217) 535-3100       E-Mail:  JimS@co.sangamon.il.us
Sangamon County Department of Public Health (SCDPH), a lead agency for the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP), will increase breast cancer awareness to uninsured/underinsured women ages 40-64 living in rural areas of Menard County, and black/African American women in Sangamon County.  Outreach and breast health education classes will be offered.  Women will be able to view an educational video and palpate breast models to help them distinguish between normal and abnormal breast tissue.  They will receive valuable information about the three steps that are most important to breast health:  1) breast self exam, 2) clinical breast exam, and 3) mammograms.  Outcomes will be measured by utilizing pre-tests, post-tests, and evaluations.  Additional outreach will include advertising.  SCDPH will rent one billboard in Menard and one billboard in Sangamon County on a monthly basis for one year.  The impact on the community will be increased breast health awareness through education and advertisement.

Shelby Memorial Hospital, Shelbyville, IL - $12,150.00
Project Director:   Amy Waddington        Phone:  (217) 774-3961       E-Mail:  awaddington@mysmh.org
Shelby Memorial Hospital (SMH), a non-profit organization located in Shelby County provides quality health care to a medically underserved county. Through SMH services with past grant fund, women in Shelby County received preventative services & were educated on breast cancer and the importance of early detection. SMH wants to continue to provide these benefits to women. Our Mammography Incentive Program will provide a digital screening mammogram, the radiologist's interpretation, & educational material regarding breast cancer awareness, all at no cost to Shelby County women who qualify. Qualifications area based on the following: individual must be 55-64 years of age (younger if necessary due to an abnormal clinical breast exam or other medical diagnosis), be uninsured or underinsured, meet government income guidelines, & not qualify for funding through the IBCCP.  Many women, due to their limited income & the expense of these additional tests, would not comply with their physician's advice to have a mammogram or further testing without the financial aid from grant funds. Girls Night out (GNO) is phase 2 of our Pink Ribbon Project. GNO meets once a month & focuses on women's health issues including breast cancer awareness & after hours availability for mammogram screening. SMH also participates in an annual Health Fair in which the hospital is able to distribute information to women about breast cancer awareness and the importance of getting a yearly screening mammogram.

Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees on behalf of its School of Medicine, Springfield, IL - $12,500.00
Project Director:   Tracy Smith               Phone:  (217) 545-2200       E-Mail:  tsmith@siumed.edu
The purpose of this program is to decrease barriers to practice of breast health in urban and rural areas using a multi-strategy approach.  Three key areas for strategy intervention will occur.  The first in direct patient care and outreach by the Simmons Cancer Institute at Southern Illinois School of Medicine (SIUSOM), focus group assessment of barriers and health literacy effects led by the Department of Family and community Medicine (DFCM) and SIUSOM medical students, and medical student education and outreach organized by the DCFM.  These activities will focus on uninsured, underinsured, poverty-level and homeless women in Sangamon County and on other neighboring rural areas.  Descriptive analysis of all variable will be performed.  Literacy skills will be examined as categorical variables.  Qualitative analysis of focus group interactions will also be performed.  Individual chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression will be used to examine outcome results.  The likely impact of the program will be increased knowledge about the barriers to practicing interventions aimed at improving breast health; medical student improved knowledge and skills about breast health practice, and decreased barriers to practicing breast health interventions.

 Tazewell County Health Department, Tremont, IL - $48,600.00
Project Director:   Sarah Buller Fenton    Phone:  (309) 925-5511       E-Mail:  sfenton@tchd.net
The purpose of the “No Excuses” program is to identify women in Tazewell County in need of breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services, enroll them for participation in the “No Excuses” program, provide medical case management to ensure that program participants receive recommended screening and diagnostic services, and provide information about breast health to those participants.

1. Tazewell County Health Department will enroll eligible women for mammography services funded by the Mammograms Save Lives License Plate Fund, encouraging them to receive regular screening mammograms and do monthly breast self exams.  The target population for services funded by the Mammogram Fund is medically indigent women with no health insurance or health insurance with a high deductible, under age 50.
2. Evaluation measures will include review of program reports to document the number of women receiving screening mammograms.  Quality assurance audits will be done on every client chart to ensure that clients receive diagnostic & treatment services as indicated & screening cycles are completed within 60 days.  Client satisfaction surveys will be reviewed to ensure that program services are delivered to clients according to standards established by funders.
3. Increasing accessibility of screening mammograms to more women in need in Tazewell County is expected to increase the rate of early diagnosis of breast cancer & decrease the rate of premature deaths from breast cancer.