Center assists cancer project

Staff report

FARRELL, Pa.

The Minority Health Center, 211 Federal St., lower level, recently was awarded about $35,000 from Susan G. Komen for the Cure to offer the Witness Project, a nationally recognized program that aims to improve breast-cancer awareness and knowledge and to increase access to timely breast-cancer screening among never or rarely screened black women in Mercer and Lawrence counties.

The project is a community-based, breast- and cervical-cancer education program using trained black cancer survivors and lay health advisers to increase awareness, knowledge and screening among women in their local communities to improve breast-cancer survival.

In September 2009, 36 local women were trained by national trainers. Additional support was provided by other community services in Lawrence and Mercer counties.

“In church, people witness to save souls. With the Witness Project, they witness to save lives,” says Olive McKeithan, executive director of the Minority Health Center.

Locally, the Minority Health Center is coordinating education programs at local churches and community locations in both Lawrence and Mercer counties using trained breast-cancer survivors and community volunteers.

They hope to educate about 300 women about the importance of early detection this year. Project staff will work to help resolve problems that stand in their way of getting their mammograms.

Working with the Minority Health Center on the project are the Lawrence County Cancer Coalition; Adagio Health, a Lawrence County organization that offers a “Healthy Women Program” and a mammogram voucher program; the WomanCare Center of UPMC Horizon; Sharon Regional Health System; Jameson Health System; Lifelong Learning Choices, Lawrence County; Northern Appalachian Cancer Network; the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service; and the Pennsylvania Cancer Control Consortium.

Women who have no health insurance or have high deductibles may be eligible for a free or low-cost breast- and cervical-cancer screening program through the Pennsylvania Health Woman Program and mammogram voucher and assistance programs at Adagio Health in New Castle or Family Planning Service in Mercer County.

To schedule Witness Project in your church or community, call McKeithan at the Minority Health Center at (724) 981-3856.