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Health & Fitness

Komen Atlanta Awards Northside $150K for Breast Cancer Care

Thanks to a generous grant from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater Atlanta Affiliate, Northside Hospital’s Cancer Institute will be able to continue its work to promote early detection of breast cancer, by providing funding for screening mammograms and other breast diagnostic procedures for women who cannot afford them.

“Through generous community support from groups like Komen Atlanta, Northside is able to increase the early detection of breast cancer by educating and screening more women,” said Patti Owen, director of oncology services, Northside Hospital.  “We are grateful to Komen Atlanta for their ongoing commitment to our Breast Care Program.”

Early detection saves the lives of thousands of women each year.  More cases of breast cancer are treated at Northside Hospital than at any other community hospital in the Southeast.  As a National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Center, the hospital offers a complete range of services for patients including education, genetic counseling, imaging, radiation oncology, chemotherapy, surgery, support, rehabilitation and more – covering every aspect of breast care.

Komen Atlanta's grant program funds community programs that provide needed breast cancer services to women, who are medically underserved and uninsured.  The $149,987 given to Northside in 2014 will go toward helping qualified applicants receive screening mammograms and breast diagnostic services including diagnostic mammograms, breast ultrasounds, biopsies and more to women in need.  Services are available at select Northside Hospital locations, as well as aboard Northside’s ScreenAtlanta mobile-mammography unit.  Interpretation services are available upon request.

This is the twelfth year that Northside has received grant money from Komen Atlanta, with funds totaling more than $846,000.  In 2013, 691 women were served by Northside’s grant-supported funds.  Breast cancer was detected in three women, who otherwise may have gone undiagnosed.

“These grants give thousands of local Atlanta women access to life-saving breast screenings, mammograms, diagnostic testing, education and treatment support,” said Cati Stone, executive director of Susan G. Komen Greater Atlanta.

“Seventy-five percent of the money we raise stays in Metro Atlanta, with the other 25 percent going toward research,” Stone added.  “Money raised through individual donations, corporate partners and events enables Komen Atlanta and its partners to remove barriers to care because a woman’s age, race or socio-economic status should never determine whether she survives breast cancer.”

To be eligible for the free mammogram services at Northside Hospital, applicants must qualify for financial assistance and reside in Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton or Rockdale counties.  Additionally, women must be at least 35 years old, meet income level requirements, have no health insurance and provide a written order from her physician.

To learn more about receiving services at Northside Hospital, through the Komen Atlanta grant, call 770-667-4400.  For more information about supporting Northside, visit www.northside.com.

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