McKee Foundation earns Komen grant to help women with breast cancer
LOVELAND, Colo. (April 21, 2009) – The McKee Medical Center Foundation has received $66,000 from the Denver Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® to provide breast cancer treatment for women in southern Larimer County who are uninsured or underinsured.
At McKee Medical Center, the grant will support patients who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and need treatment including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Applicants must meet financial criteria. If a woman has questions or wants more information about how to access the grant, please contact McKee Patient and Community Services Manager Linda Davidson at (970) 635-4016.
Davidson said the hospital hopes to be able to begin using the grant in the next few weeks. The number of people who can benefit from the grant will depend on the type and cost of services needed.
Julie Johnson Haffner, executive director of the McKee Medical Center Foundation, said the grant will help McKee make a difference in Loveland and will build on a previous Komen grant of $33,000.
“I’m proud that the work done at McKee has facilitated a second grant from the Komen Affiliate in Denver for women in the Loveland area. We know the need is great, and we are certain McKee’s reputation for excellent patient care combined with this funding support will save lives and change lives in our community,” Johnson Haffner said.
The Denver Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure awarded more than $2.83 million in grants in April to 36 local nonprofits providing breast health and breast cancer education, screening, treatment and treatment support services to uninsured individuals at its annual Hope for the Cure celebration. In addition, Komen Denver Affiliate invested nearly $1 million into breast cancer research through the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Grants Program for energizing science to find the cures.
“Komen Denver Affiliate is pleased to award 36 grants totaling $2.83 million to help uninsured and underserved individuals access life-saving breast cancer care, but we know the need is much greater – more than $4.5 million in grant requests were submitted to the Affiliate,” said Michele Ostrander, Executive Director of the Affiliate.
More than 800,000 Coloradans are uninsured and do not have access to health care. With the current economic uncertainty and increasing unemployment rates, the number of the uninsured is growing. The Affiliate Grants Program is designed to fill in the gaps and barriers to breast health care.
The monies awarded were raised from April 2008 to March 2009 and this year’s grants specifically address education (12%); screening including clinical breast exams, mammograms and diagnostic tests (45%); treatment such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and hormonal therapy (25%); treatment support including meals, transportation and financial assistance (13%); and access to clinical trials (5%) for uninsured and medically underserved breast cancer patients.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest breast cancer organization, and the Denver Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is one of 125 Affiliates on the front lines dedicated to ending breast cancer in their communities. Komen Affiliates fund innovative programs that help women and men overcome the cultural, social, educational and financial barriers to breast cancer screening and treatment.
“McKee Medical Center will provide breast cancer treatment services, and the Komen Denver Affiliate is proud to work in partnership with them,” said Michele Ostrander, executive director.
About McKee Medical Center:
McKee Medical Center is committed to providing compassionate, innovative cancer care services tailored to meet the individual needs of patients. Experienced physicians and staff, technologically advanced detection and treatment tools, and an array of support services ensure patients are expertly cared for through all phases of their cancer care.
With its state-of-the-art McKee Cancer Center and comprehensive McKee Breast Center, we are one of Northern Colorado’s most comprehensive cancer diagnosis and treatment facilities. Integrated programs in cancer treatment, participation in research clinical trials, and an array of education and prevention programs ensure cancer patients receive up-to-date and highly effective cancer care services. We are also accredited by the American College of Surgeons. For more information, please visit www.bannerhealth.com Keyword: McKee Cancer.
About Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and the Komen Denver Affiliate:
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever, and in 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The Denver Affiliate is part of the world’s largest and most progressive grassroots network fighting breast cancer. Through events like the Komen Denver Race for the Cure and the Pink Tie Affair, the Affiliate has invested $23 million in community breast cancer programs in their 12-county service area. Up to 75 percent of net proceeds generated by the Affiliate stay in the local community. The remaining 25 percent funds national breast cancer research. For more information, call (303) 744-2088 or visit www.komendenver.org.
