Getting your mammogram early and often is important for long-term breast health, but one of the most significant barriers to access for many women in the Region is cost. The Northwest Indiana Breast Care Center at Methodist Hospitals is always looking for ways to help women in the Region get the care they need, and the Bears Care grant is one of the funds that makes affordable care possible.
The Bears Care grant has awarded the Breast Care Center money every year since 2013, providing a fund that qualified Region residents can tap into to help cover the cost of breast care services.
“With the grant from the Chicago Bears, we have been offering women screening opportunities,” said Jennifer Sanders, manager of the Breast Care Center. “If you come in for a screening and we find something, we will pay for the diagnostic mammogram, the ultrasound, the MRIs, the breast biopsies, the reading fees – we cover pretty much every single thing.”
Since 2013, the Breast Care Center has been able to identify 25 different cancers through the Bears Care grant, potentially saving the lives of 25 women in the Region. When women don’t have to worry about the costs of getting screened, early detection of breast cancer is more likely, as are the chances of survival.
“We have a fair amount of women who are either uninsured or underinsured, and this alleviates the concerns of cost so that women can continue to get their annual screening mammograms,” said Dr. Anastasia Siatras, radiologist and medical director of the Breast Care Center. “It was our goal that cost would never be an issue that prevents women from getting their mammograms done on a yearly basis.”
Finding out if you qualify for financial help with the Bears Care grant is as easy as making a phone call.
“Basically, we ask women to call a phone number to see if they qualify for financial need,” Sanders said. “If they qualify, we get them scheduled, and a woman gets to have her mammogram like all the rest of the women."
The Bears Care grant has proved especially helpful for women from minority populations. The Breast Care Center is doubling down on its reach out to women of color by including more languages in the educational resources offered.
“We have now added some Spanish to our flyers, and we're trying to reach out to the Hispanic population. We've been able to get a translator. We’re trying to really get the full spectrum of women here in Northwest Indiana, and we have a huge Hispanic population alongside the African American and Caucasian populations. We’re making sure that we're covering all those women's needs,” said Sanders.
The money received from the Bears Care grant is being used every year by women throughout the Region, which is exactly what the team at the Breast Care Center wants to see.
“One of the most important things is that we reach out and let women know these funds are available because there are so many people who feel they cannot get a mammogram done due to funds,” said Mammography and Breast Cancer Survivor Tammy Hughes. “It's important that women have less to worry about when they come because there's so many worries already. Once that financial burden is taken away, it's a little easier.”
Besides cost, transportation and awareness are two other barriers preventing access to breast care in the Region. While the Breast Care Center is still developing a solution to the first, its staff is always happy to help address the latter.
“Every woman needs to have the opportunity to be able to get a mammogram. Early detection is key,” said Tracey Valois, a mammography assistant and breast cancer survivor. “I assure and promise women that screening is not as uncomfortable as people make it out to be. I feel like there's always been this stigma that it’s so painful. It's not the most comfortable, but finding cancer at an early stage is so important. We want to get these women in here early and get them started.”
The Bears Care grant allows the Breast Care Center to reach even more women in the Region and continue its mission of supporting women’s medical needs. Eliminating the cost of screenings is a huge step towards creating a healthy, happy population.
“It's an amazing program,” said Valois. "There are so many women who are unable to get their mammograms due to having no insurance or having insurance that doesn't cover it. Every woman needs to get that mammogram, and I think it's just amazing that the Chicago Bears do this.”
To schedule an appointment with the Northwest Indiana Breast Care Center at Methodist Hospitals, visit methodisthospitals.org/services/breast-care-center-at-methodist-hospitals.
