In an effort to prevent breast cancer from claiming more lives in Rochester, staff at Jordan Health have now added mammograms to the list of services they offer.
The clinic kicked off its Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign on Monday with a news conference at the Anthony L. Jordan Health Center on Holland Street. Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul and Senator Joe Robach joined a handful of elected officials who spoke about how early detection of cancer increases the chances of successful treatment.
Mayor Lovely Warren gave a personal account of how the disease has impacted the lives of her family and friends.
“It’s something that truly hits close to home. We need our men to encourage their loved ones: mothers, daughters, wives and significant others to get tested,” said Warren.
Women who are 40 and older with no insurance are invited to take advantage of free mammograms, pending qualification. An appeal was also made to women of color in the community to have breast cancer screenings become part of their yearly routines.
Breast cancer rates among African-American women are on the rise, according to the American Cancer Society. This is a shift from previous data that showed that African-American women got breast cancer less than white women, but due to many factors including later diagnosis, and more aggressive types they tended to have a higher mortality rate.
Geraldine Dixon, a co-pastor at Grace Unity Fellowship Church on the city’s northeast side, is still mourning the recent death of a church staffer to breast cancer. Dixon said she regularly promotes health screenings during Sunday service at the predominantly Black church.
“In the African-American community, for us the church has been the vehicle, the place that we could go to for information,” said Dixon.
She said that many parishioners have told her they choose to look for health specialists outside of the city, because they are unaware that such comprehensive health services are available in Rochester.
“I think there’s a disparity in health care and a lot of people are fearing going to [city] institutions for care,” Dixon said.
Jordan Health has partnered with UR Medicine Breast Imaging to provide all-digital, 3D mammography screenings at the Anthony L. Jordan Health Center. The entire process takes 15 minutes to complete, and officials said the technology allows for better detection, fewer callbacks, and same-day results.
As part of the campaign, women who are screened on Monday, October 24 and Saturday, October 29, 2016 can get a free professional bra fitting and free bra. Routine mammography screenings are available by simply walking in or calling Jordan Health in advance to schedule an appointment.
