Download American Cancer Society to Provide Funding To Promote Health

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Stephanie Balesano
American Cancer Society
[email protected]
203.379.4841
American Cancer Society to Provide Funding
To Promote Health Equity in Hartford
Rocky Hill, CT (March 7, 2016) – The American Cancer Society will provide another year of
funding in 2016 to support increased access to breast cancer education and screening resources in
underserved communities nationwide. Thanks to support from Walgreens, Charter Oak Health
Center (COHC) will receive a $50,000 grant award to continue providing cancer education and
access to screening for individuals throughout Hartford County.
The American Cancer Society’s Community Health Advocates implementing Nationwide Grants
for Empowerment and Equity (CHANGE) Grant Program builds community and system
capacity to promote health equity, access and navigation to screening resources within
underserved communities. Funding for CHANGE grants comes from Walgreens customers
nationwide, who choose to donate to the American Cancer Society as they pay for their
purchases at checkout. CHANGE grant recipients utilize funds to reach underserved individuals
with potentially life-saving cancer education and implement strategies to reduce cancer screening
disparities.
“Charter Oak Health Center is excited to be able to offer continued education, training and
financial support through the American Cancer Society’s CHANGE grant program for reducing
barriers related to regular screening, tracking and follow up which allows for increased access to
care for the community that we serve,” said Gloria Jones, chief nursing officer of Charter Oak
Health Center.
The CHANGE grant awarded to COHC in 2014 funded the Start Early, Stay Healthy program
which is designed to help increase mammography screening rates by providing reminders,
navigation services, and reduced client costs to ensure that COHC patients receive
mammograms. Since 2014 over 1,700 patients have been served through this grant.
According to the American Cancer Society, disparities predominantly arise from inequities in
work, wealth, income, education, housing, and overall standard of living, as well as social
barriers to high-quality cancer prevention, early detection and treatment services. Additionally,
persons with lower socioeconomic status are more likely to experience increased cancer risks
due to tobacco use, physical inactivity and poor diet due to environmental or community barriers
that provide fewer opportunities for physical activity and less access to fruits and vegetables.
Since 2011, more than 370 grants have been provided through the CHANGE Grant Program. As
a result, grant recipients have reached underserved men and women through over 1.6 million
reminders, education and navigation engagements, and provided more than 560,000 breast,
cervical and colorectal low or no cost screenings. This success was made possible through donor
support from all of the CHANGE Program corporate partners, including Walgreens.
The Walgreens Way to Well Commitment program, which focuses on improving everyday
health through the prevention and early detection of leading diseases, has been a supporter of the
CHANGE Grant Program since 2012. The company’s overall support of the Society spans two
decades and contributions to CHANGE have totaled $14 million to fund grants in local
communities throughout the country in partnership. In addition to funding CHANGE grants,
Walgreens served as a corporate enrollment site for the Society’s Cancer Prevention Study 3
(CPS-3), the historic research study that will help cancer researchers discover more ways to
prevent, detect and treat cancer and save more lives.
About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of 2.5 million volunteers saving lives and
fighting for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. As the largest voluntary
health organization, the Society's efforts have contributed to a 22 percent decline in cancer death rates in
the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. Thanks in part to our progress,14.5 million
Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will celebrate more birthdays
this year. We're determined to finish the fight against cancer. We're finding cures as the nation’s largest
private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need
and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air, and more. For
more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit
cancer.org.
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