St. Catherine Hospital Receives $20,000 Grant to Promote Breast Cancer Screenings for Uninsured & Underinsured Residents

St. Catherine Hospital Receives $20,000 Grant to Promote Breast Cancer Screenings for Uninsured & Underinsured Residents

The Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust has awarded a one-year, $20,000 grant to St. Catherine Hospital for the breast screening and awareness program called, “Pretty in Pink.”

This is the third year the Community Healthcare System hospital has received a $20,000 grant for the mammogram screening program and the fifth consecutive time it has been awarded funding from the Trust.

“Mammogram screenings are critical for every woman, regardless of cost or their insurance situation,” said Leo Correa, chief executive officer of St. Catherine Hospital. “We are most grateful to the Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust for providing funds that enable us to promote health and wellness for uninsured and underinsured individuals in our community. The services allow us to offer a continuum of breast screenings to women who may otherwise go without it.”

Quality Care Navigator Lupe Arellano, RN, Women’s Diagnostic Center at St. Catherine Hospital said the “Pretty in Pink” program allows those who have no health insurance, no mammography coverage or a policy with a high deductible to be a candidate for a free mammogram screening.

“Many women delay breast mammograms or ultrasound services due to the high costs,” said Arellano. “Advanced research shows that these tests are an important tool to detect breast cancer early. With ‘Pretty in Pink,’ the odds for early detection of breast cancer can rise dramatically.”

The IBCAT funds are raised through the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles sale of a Breast Cancer Awareness license plate. For each $40 plate sold, a direct tax-deductible donation of $25 is made to the IBCAT for annual, competitively awarded grants.

For more information contact Arellano, coordinator of the “Pretty in Pink” project at 219-392-7346. Visit https://www.comhs.org/services/womens-care to learn more about breast health and the Women’s Diagnostic Center.