Archive for category: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Early Detection Saves Lives: Health Partnership Focuses on Breast Cancer Screening and Education

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Catherine RiceBy Catherine Rice, Vice President of Marketing/Outreach at Health Partnership Clinic

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month—a time to remind the women in our lives, and ourselves, about the importance of breast health and routine screening.

Breast cancer remains the most common cancer diagnosed in women in the United States, other than skin cancer. In 2026, the American Cancer Society estimates that nearly 322,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.

The good news is that screening can help find breast cancer early, when it is often easier to treat. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that women ages 40 to 74 who are at average risk receive a mammogram every two years. Women should talk with their health care provider about their individual risk factors and the screening schedule that is right for them.

Chief Health Officer Tiffany Swanson, DO, says, “At Health Partnership Clinic (HPC), prevention is an important part of the care we provide. That’s why we partner with Diagnostic Imaging Centers to bring mobile mammography directly to our Olathe campus. Throughout the year, our Women’s Health team and other HPC providers help patients schedule or access mammograms through the mobile coach and other community imaging partners.”

Early Detection Saves Lives: Health Partnership Focuses on Breast Cancer Screening and EducationWe have two more mobile mammography dates available this year: Friday, Oct. 9, and Monday, Nov. 9. Patients, staff and community members may call 913-276-7098 to schedule a mammogram.

For women who are uninsured and meet eligibility guidelines, our staff can also help connect them with Kansas Early Detection Works, a program that provides breast and cervical cancer screening services to eligible Kansas women. For breast cancer screening, the program currently serves eligible uninsured women ages 40 to 64 who meet income guidelines.

Make Your Health a Priority

There are also steps women can take to help lower their risk of breast cancer, including maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active, limiting or avoiding alcohol and not smoking.

Most importantly, don’t put off your mammogram.

Throughout October, HPC staff are encouraged to wear pink in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We invite our patients, partners and community members to join us—wear pink throughout October to help raise awareness, show support for those impacted by breast cancer and remind the women in your life about the importance of regular screenings.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month gives us an opportunity to talk about breast health, but these conversations—and screenings—are important all year long. Be sure to make time to schedule your mammogram and remind family and friends to do the same.

Early detection can save lives. Make the appointment.
Encourage someone you love to make theirs, too.

For more information about breast cancer screening, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) breast cancer screening resources at cdc.gov/breast-cancer.

Early Detection Saves Lives! Health Partnership focuses on screenings and education

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Catherine RiceBy Catherine Rice, Vice President of Marketing/Outreach at Health Partnership Clinic

Did you know that breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers?

It is according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Awareness surrounding breast cancer is incredibly important as early detection, often through screening, can catch the disease when it is most treatable.

That’s the reason we partner with Diagnostic Imaging Centers to have onsite mammography for our patients and staff. Almost every month you will see the large coach in our Olathe parking lot. Diana Flores, Women’s Health Coordinator, and our women’s health provider Eva Clark, MSN, APRN, WHNP-BC, and Tiffany Swanson, DO, OBGYN, as well as other providers schedule and/or refer patients to these lifesaving screening exams either on the mobile coach or at nearby hospitals, such as AdventHealth Shawnee Mission.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

In October, we recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month by promoting our mammography services as well as the importance of education. The mammography coach will be on the Olathe campus on Wednesday, Oct. 8. You and your friends, family and neighbors are welcome to call 913-276-7098 to schedule a mammogram. Staff can also enroll eligible women in Kansas’ Early Detection Works for those who are low income and uninsured.

At Health Partnership, we encourage our staff to wear pink all month to show their spirit. In addition, staff and patients are invited to complete a Crossword Puzzle contest. A prize will be awarded to an employee and patient. Health information and giveaways will also be available at each of our clinic sites.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month Breast Cancer Awareness Month

As a FQHC, we are always looking at prevention.

Here’s how you can lower your risk for breast cancer:

  • Keep a healthy weight and exercise regularly.
  • Choose not to drink alcohol, or drink alcohol in moderation.
  • Don’t smoke.
  • Breastfeed your children, if possible.

For more information about breast cancer screening, click https://www.cdc.gov/breast-cancer/screening/index.html.

Breast Cancer AwarenessI always make time for my mammogram and remind my sister and girlfriends. I hope you do too! Remember early detection saves lives!

Early Detection Saves Lives! Health Partnership Focuses on Screenings and Education

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Amy Falk

By Amy Falk, CEO of Health Partnership Clinic

Did you know that breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers?

It is according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Awareness surrounding breast cancer is incredibly important as early detection, often through screening, can catch the disease when it is most treatable. That’s the reason we partner with Diagnostic Imaging Centers to have onsite mammography for our patients and staff. Almost every month you will see the large coach in our Olathe parking lot.

Perla Cardenas, Women’s Health Coordinator, and our women’s health providers Patti West, DNP, APRN, and Eva Clark, MSN, APRN, WHNP-BC, as well as other providers schedule and/or refer patients to these lifesaving screening exams either on the mobile coach or at nearby hospitals, such as AdventHealth Shawnee Mission.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

In October, we recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month by promoting our mammography services as well as the importance of education.

This year, the first 100 women who receive a mammogram between Sunday, Oct. 1 and Thursday, Nov. 30 will receive a $25 Walmart gift card. The card will be mailed after the results are received.

The mammography coach will be on the Olathe campus on Friday, Oct. 6 and will be back on Friday, Nov. 3. You and your friends, family and neighbors are welcome to call 913-276-7098 to schedule a mammogram. Staff can also enroll eligible women in Kansas’ Early Detection Works for those who are low income and uninsured.

Breast Cancer Month - Spanish Breast Cancer Month - Spanish

Think Pink Day – October 4th

At HPC, Perla, Catherine Rice, Marketing and Outreach Vice President, and Debbie Sparks, Development and Marketing Manager, have planned a Think Pink Day on Wednesday, Oct. 4 for our staff, volunteers and patients. A Word Search Puzzle contest is also being held! Health information and giveaways will be available at each of our clinic sites.

Lowering Your Risk for Breast Cancer

As a FQHC, we are always looking at prevention. Here’s how you can lower your risk for breast cancer:

  • Keep a healthy weight and exercise regularly.
  • Choose not to drink alcohol, or drink alcohol in moderation.
  • If you are taking hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills, ask your doctor about the risks.
  • Don’t smoke.
  • Breastfeed your children, if possible.

Breast Cancer AwarenessI always make time for my mammogram and remind my sister and girlfriends. I hope you do too! Remember early detection saves lives!

Wondering when it is time for a mammogram for yourself, a friend or relative?

Awareness is Key in the Fight Against Breast Cancer

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By Catherine Rice, Vice President of Marketing/Outreach

2021 Breast Cancer Awareness MonthNearly all of us have known someone with breast cancer and had our lives affected by that diagnosis. Breast cancer is something that affects all women and some men. Knowing your risk and getting the right screening test is important and can save your life.

We know that mammography is the most effective tool used today to find breast cancer in most women. In partnership with Diagnostic Imaging Centers, P.A., we provide monthly onsite mammograms. We are kicking off National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (usually celebrated in October) early by hosting a mammogram event on Wednesday, Sept. 29. Participants will receive a gift bag and refreshments. In addition, the mobile coach will be back at our Olathe clinic location on Monday, Oct. 25. Mammograms are scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

FNBO LogoScreening mammograms will be available to area women who are 50 and older, low income and uninsured. Clinic staff will enroll eligible women in Kansas’ Early Detection Works, and insurance will be billed, if insured. Thanks to FNBO, who donated funds for mammograms and awareness building initiatives, there is no cost to patients.

To schedule a mobile mammogram appointment, call 913-648-2266.

If you are unsure if you need a mammogram, please talk to your health care provider about your risk level and the appropriate testing for you. To schedule an appointment to see a provider at HPC, call 913-648-2266.

Health Partnership Advocates Early Detection of Breast Cancer by Offering Education and Mobile Mammography

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Elizabeth LewisBy Elizabeth Lewis, WHNP-BC, MSN, MPA-HA, BSN, RN
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner

Across the world, October is known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This month’s goal is to increase awareness and support for the early detection and treatment of breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, but thanks to improvements in treatment and earlier detection through screenings, women do not die from breast cancer as frequently.

The death rate from breast cancer in women has dropped by 39 percent from the 1980s to 2015 (Nicola, 2018). Studies have confirmed that alcohol consumption (two to three alcoholic drinks per day), obesity and smoking increase your risk of breast cancer. Those women who are physically active on a regular basis have a 10 to 25 percent lower risk of breast cancer. This is especially the case for post-menopausal women.

Mammography

Mammography and especially early detection are important in the early treatment and management of breast cancer. And at our clinic, it is a priority. We offer women’s health services which include breast health as well as breast and cervical screening appointments. We measure and monitor the number of screenings monthly as part of our Quality Report. To date, approximately 50 percent of our female patients are screened for breast cancer.

To help increase that number, the clinic recently partnered with the American Cancer Society and Diagnostic Imaging Centers to provide mobile mammography to patients and the community—particularly to those who are uninsured on site at the Olathe location. Several current patients and new to the clinic have participated in these community events.

HPC Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Download our Breast Cancer Awareness Flyer (PDF)

Next Mammography Event – Thursday, December 3, 2020

The next mobile mammography event will be Thursday, Dec. 3. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. To schedule a screening, call 913-648-2266. The event is open to area women, especially to those who are 40 and older, low income and uninsured. There is NO cost to patients who qualify, and insurance is accepted. A $50 gas card will be given to participants!

At Health Partnership, a lack of insurance coverage should never prevent you from regular screening and scheduling an appointment if you have a problem. A Kansas statewide program, called Early Detection Works (EDW), will help pay for mammograms and cervical cancer screenings for women age 21-64 years old. You can call to see if you are eligible at 1-877-277-1368, or look online at https://www.khconline.org/files/PTN/EDW.pdf.

As far as self-breast exams, it is important to be aware of your breasts and know if changes occur. Below is a graphic I find useful, from knowyourlemons.com.

Know Your Lemons: 12 signs of breast cancer

Works Cited

Nicola, K. D. (2018, October 1). October is breast cancer awareness month: What you need to know and how you can help. Retrieved from American Cancer Society: http://pressroom.cancer.org/2018-10-01-October-is-Breast-Cancer-Awareness-Month-What-You-Need-to-Know-and-How-You-Can-Help

Awareness is Key in the Fight Against Breast Cancer

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By Elizabeth Lewis, WHNP-BC, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner

Elizabeth LewisNearly all of us have known someone with breast cancer, and had our lives affected by that diagnosis. Breast cancer is something that affects all women and some men. Knowing your risk and getting the right screening test is important.

We know that mammography is the most effective tool used today to find breast cancer in most women. There is some disagreement from organizations on when that screening should start (Below you will find recommendations for women of average risk).

American Cancer Society

Informed decision-making with a health care provider from age 40-44
Every year starting at age 45-54
Every 2 years (or every year if a woman chooses to do so) starting at age 55, for as long as a woman is in good health

National Comprehensive Cancer Network

Every year starting at age 40, for as long as a woman is in good health

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

Informed decision-making with a health care provider from age 40-49
Every 2 years ages 50-74

HPC Can Help

Women Supporting Women - Breast CancerAt HPC, we have help paying for screening mammograms for women age 40-64 years old. Call 1-877-277-1368 to see if you are eligible or look online at https://www.khconline.org/files/PTN/EDW.pdf.

The above recommendations are for average risk women. Your risk level is often just as important as knowing when to start screenings. The lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 12.4 percent for women of average risk, 15-20 percent for women of moderate risk and greater than 20 percent for women of high risk.

The majority of breast and ovarian cancers are sporadic; however, 6 percent of breast cancers and 15 percent of ovarian cancers are caused by harmful mutations in the BRCA genes. We suggest genetic counseling in patients with no personal history of breast cancer if any of the following are true:

  • A pathogenic variant in BRCA1or BRCA2 in a biological relative, usually a first- or second-degree relative
  • At least two individuals with breast cancer primaries on the same side of the family with at least one diagnosed at 50 years of age or less
  • A first- or second-degree relative with any of the following: breast cancer at 45 years or younger, ovarian cancer, male breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, metastatic prostate cancer or 2 or more breast cancer primaries in a single individual or on the same side of the family with at least one diagnosed at 50 years of age or younger
  • Family history of three or more cancers linked to hereditary cancer syndromes

Be sure to talk to your health care provider about your risk level and the appropriate testing for you. To schedule an appointment to see a provider at HPC, call 913-648-2266.

Join the fight against Breast Cancer: Education and Awareness Key for Women

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EDW logo plain (2)Post written by Catherine Rice, VP of Marketing and Outreach

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women after skin cancer.

About one in eight women born today in the United States will get breast cancer at some point.

The good news is that many women can survive breast cancer if it’s found and treated early. A mammogram – the screening test for breast cancer – can help find breast cancer early when it’s easier to treat.

This October, Health Partnership Clinic (HPC) is proud to participate in National Breast Cancer Awareness Month to help raise awareness about the importance of early detection of breast cancer.

Portrait of confident women supporting breast cancer awareness at parkHPC will host a Think Pink Day on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018 (click here for more information) at their Olathe campus, 407 S. Claiborne Rd., Olathe, Kan. for women age 45-64 who haven’t had a mammogram in more than a year.

The event will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Women are encouraged to call 913-648-2266 for an appointment, however, walk-Ins are welcome.

Breast health information will be available at all clinic sites, and staff are invited to wear pink on Fridays. Staff may also participate in a crossword puzzle and word search contests.

At the Olathe location, patients are invited to enter their name into a door prize drawing. One winner will be drawn on Oct. 31.

Participants will receive a clinical breast exam, enroll in Early Detection Works (EDW), schedule a mammogram appointment, learn more about breast health and enjoy refreshments. Patients and staff are encouraged to wear pink!

HPC providers offer the following advice to women:

  • If you are a woman age 40 to 49, talk with your provider about when to start getting mammograms and how often to get them.
  • If you are a woman age 50 to 74, be sure to get a mammogram every two years. You may also choose to get them more often.
  • Talk to a provider about your risk for breast cancer, especially if a close family member of yours had breast or ovarian cancer. Your provider can help you decide when and how often to get mammograms.

Resources:

National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides access to breast cancer screening services to underserved women in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, 5 U.S. territories, and 12 tribal organizations. Learn more at https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/.

National Cancer Institute

Information about free or low-cost mammogram screening programs is available through NCI’s Cancer Information Service at 1-800-422-6237.

American cancer SocietyThe American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society provides lists of resources where you can receive a free or low-cost mammogram based on your location.  When you go to their website, Cancer.org, look for the blue “My ACS” in the top right corner.

When you click on that, you can enter your zip code.  Scroll down to the Local Resources section and click on Health Care and Screenings.  You can search these resources for free or low-cost mammogram screenings in your area.  Learn more at https://www.cancer.org/.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation

The National Breast Cancer Foundation was founded in 1991 by breast cancer survivor, Janelle Hail. NBCF continues to grow every year to help more and more women around the world by educating them about breast cancer and providing free mammograms to women in need. Visit https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org.