$45,000 Grant Helps Northside Hospital Fight Breast Cancer

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SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- In 2015, approximately 776 underinsured residents received breast cancer screening and diagnostic services through the Northside Hospital Cancer Institute. Five breast cancers were detected.

More cases of breast cancer are diagnosed and treated at the Northside Hospital Cancer Institute than at any other community hospital in the southeast. Early detection of breast cancer saves the lives of thousands of citizens each year. However, medically underserved and uninsured residents often lack access to care.

Recently, It’s The Journey, Inc. awarded grants totaling $821,661 to 28 breast cancer programs across Georgia to help them reduce barriers to breast care.

Just over $44,900 of that total went to Northside Hospital to allow the hospital to continue to provide funding for screening mammograms and other breast diagnostic procedures such as ultrasounds, biopsies and more for those who cannot afford them.

“Northside Hospital is so grateful and fortunate to, once again, have the generous support of It’s The Journey,” said Patti Owen, director of the Northside Hospital Cancer Institute. “Their commitment to our patients has been continuous and their financial support of Northside’s Breast Care Program has allowed us to screen more women for breast disease and educate them about the importance of early detection.”

It’s The Journey, producer of the Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer, provides grants annually for Georgia programs that focus on breast cancer screening, diagnostics, genetic counseling and testing, and research. The funds for these grants were raised during the 2015 Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer by over 1000 walkers and tens of thousands of donors.

“We are proud to facilitate the increased reach of these incredibly impactful breast health organizations,” said Kimberly Goff, executive director of It’s The Journey. “Their efforts extend across the entire state, reaching over 16,000 Georgians in need of breast health services in nearly 90 counties. We are particularly proud of our partnership with Northside Hospital, which will benefit citizens in Dawson, Hall, Lumpkin, and Pickens counties.”

This program will provide no cost screening mammography and diagnostic services to financially eligible patients, particularly those that are uninsured. Services are provided at any of Northside’s 16 imaging centers or 21 mobile mammography sites.

Of the grant money awarded to Northside, $5,000 was a special award given by one of the 2015 Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer’s highest fundraising teams, Circle of Friends. Circle of Friends raised more than $53,740 for the event.

For a more detailed listing of all 2016 It’s The Journey grant recipients including a brief description of their programs, visit http://itsthejourney.org/2016-grantees/.

To learn more about receiving services through the Northside Hospital Cancer Institute’s breast cancer screenings grants, call 770-667-4400. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements. Services are available at select Northside locations, as well as aboard Northside’s ScreenAtlanta mobile-mammography unit. Interpretation services are available upon request.

For more information about supporting patients at Northside Hospital, visit give.northside.com.

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Photo: From left to right are: Astrid Wilkie-Mckellar, community outreach coordinator; Adriana Andrade, community health advocate; and Dale Israel, disparities outreach coordinator, all of the Northside Hospital Cancer Institute, receive a 2016 It’s The Journey grant from Laurel Sybilrud, chairman of the organization’s grants committee. Credit: Northside Hospital