St. Louis is is almost three weeks away from the annual Komen St. Louis Race for the Cure, Saturday June 15 in downtown St. Louis.
Komen keeps 75% of dollars raised right here in St. Louis and a big part of that is to ensure women get screened for breast cancer through mammography, no matter what a person’s income level may be.
At Saint Louis University Cancer Center, the people who run our Show Me Healthy Women program want to make sure those who are underserved still have access to screening.
Show Me Healthy Women is a program started in 2009 when the Susan G. Komen Foundation approached Saint Louis University Cancer Center. Komen wanted to offer no-cost breast exams, mammograms, pap smears and other women’s health services for those who meet age and income requirements, and SLU Hospital then became one of the 167 provider locations for these services throughout the state of Missouri.
Michele Carley, the Show Me Healthy Women coordinator from SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital, said the program focuses on providing screening to St. Louis’ underserved community.
The program then does outreach efforts to places like community centers, food pantries and churches, looking for those who may not be able to otherwise afford mammogram or other women’s health services.
Last year, Show Me Healthy Women was able to offer 300 mammograms. Carley said if they ever have a surplus of patients, they treat those who have immediate symptoms, but they will always conduct screenings for everyone interested at some point — and the women are always thankful for it.
“I feel like I’m very fortunate to be around these women,” she said. “They are so appreciative of the services.”
With Show Me Healthy Women, those who may have otherwise put off getting exams can be preventative and tackle any issues they have earlier than later, Carley said.
“A lot of times, they will be worried because they just have a pain or lump,” she said. “It’s just a peace of mind to know they’re OK.”
If men have a family history or any other concerns, Carley said they can also be considered for the program.
Carley said Show Me Healthy Women will make sure those going through the program follow up with annual visits for mammograms, and they also recommend conducting monthly breast self-exams.
“We follow through every step of the way,” she said.
If women do test positive — which only happens to 3 percent of those that come through the program — for breast cancer and cannot afford to pay for treatment, Carley said Missouri Medicaid covers the cost for Missouri residents.
Show Me Healthy Women also provides education, something Carley said they would like to grow throughout the program.
Show Me Healthy Women is largely funded through grants from the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and the grant is then funded by donations from supporters. When other programs get cut, Carley said she is thankful they still had money to continue Show Me Healthy Women.
“We’re very lucky they had screening as an important focus for Komen,” she said.
For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call 314-268-7038.
