Breast cancer coalition to honor Division of Public Health Aug. 4
The Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition will host the 2021 Shining Light Awards during a cocktail reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 4, at the Waterfall in Wilmington. As the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition celebrates 30 years of service to Delaware, its organizers are excited to host a post-pandemic, in-person event.
The awards recognize those who have made significant contributions to the advancements made toward ending breast cancer in the greater Delaware region, and who have served to motivate and inspire others to be champions of the cause.
The coalition will honor the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health for its ongoing partnership to provide centralized patient navigation services for breast, cervical and other health screenings throughout the state. Accepting the honor will be Dr. Karyl Rattay, Delaware Division of Public Health director.
In 2004, the coalition partnered with DPH to manage the women’s health screening program, which has evolved from a single mobile screening van to the statewide program offered today. The program reaches out to underserved audiences to help schedule them for mammograms at free-standing sites and, if needed, provides transportation, as well as interpretation in Spanish and Haitian-Creole by certified medical interpreters.
According to a DPH report, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a 58 percent decrease in breast cancer screenings among Delawareans. The women’s health screening team and the state have worked tenaciously to help 533 individuals receive mammogram screenings between July 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021, to ensure lifesaving preventative care.
In partnership with DPH, the coalition also implements community outreach, hosting several multicultural connection wellness fairs throughout the state annually.
These unique tri-lingual outreach opportunities are held in collaboration with local organizations and focus on reaching the underserved and disparate populations.
The Women’s Health Screening team will navigate individuals through the steps of a mammogram, ensuring they have proper insurance coverage, an appointment, transportation, interpretation and follow-up assistance as needed.
The collaboration between the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition and the State of Delaware has been in place for over 16 years, resulting in more than 13,846 women being screened, and has saved countless lives by removing barriers to care and promoting early detection, when breast cancer is more treatable.
For more information and to register, go to debreastcancer.org and click on events.
