FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital Receives Grant to Support Breast Health Services in Moore County
| Date Posted: 7/16/2015
PINEHURST – The Susan G. Komen North Carolina Triangle to the Coast (NCTC) Affiliate has given $545,635 in grant funding to 12 community organizations conducting breast health services and education projects for the under-served, under-insured and uninsured populations in its 29-county service area in eastern and central North Carolina.
“Community Health Grants provide screening and diagnostic mammograms, education, support services and treatment support,” says Pam Kohl, Komen NCTC executive director. “Money raised at our annual Komen Wilmington Race for the Cure and Komen Triangle Race for the Cure events allows us to provide these services to those whose lives have been touched by breast cancer.”
An independent review panel selects the Komen NCTC Community grantees based on the impact the program will make in the community, the long-term sustainability of the project and the specific needs of the community it serves.
FirstHealth of the Carolinas, in partnership with the Moore Free Care Clinic, Pinehurst Radiology and the Moore County Health Department, received $50,000 from the Komen grant to provide free screening mammograms to patients of the Moore Free Care Clinic and uninsured residents of Moore County. An additional amount of limited funding is also available for follow-up diagnostic services and financial assistance for eligible patients going through breast cancer treatment at the FirstHealth Cancer Center.
Representatives of the locally involved agencies say the grant offers a great opportunity to fill a need for low-income patients in the area.
“We are so pleased to be awarded a fourth year of funding from Komen NCTC,” says Chris Miller, administrative director of FirstHealth Community Health Services. “When people think of Moore County, most think of the U.S. Open and not an underserved population with health care needs. Partnering with the Moore Free Care Clinic, the Moore County Health Department and community providers in addition to self-referrals, the grant support has allowed FirstHealth to provide needed assistance to more than 800 people.”
“Each September, we host the 1 in 8k Moore for the Cure race in Pinehurst,” says John Eastman, chief operating officer of Pinehurst Radiology. “The proceeds from the race benefit Komen NCTC. Over the first four years of the race, we have been able to send more than $125,000 to Komen, so it is nice to see such a large grant coming back into our community to fund mammograms and treatment for women who need it in Moore County.”
The fifth annual 1 in 8k Rally for the Cure race will be held on Saturday, August 29, in the Village of Pinehurst. The funds raised will help fight breast cancer, increase public awareness, and allow individuals to honor and support those who battle breast cancer.
The 2015-2016 Community Health Grants will provide two educational/support programs, nine screening programs and one treatment support program. This year’s grantees include the following 12 organizations:
East Carolina University, Pitt County Breast Wellness Initiative – Education
FirstHealth of the Carolinas, Moore Screenings
Gregory B. Davis Foundation for the Roanoke Valley Breast Cancer Coalition, Saving Our Sisters II
Halifax Regional Medical Center Inc., Breast Cancer Diagnostics Assistance Program
Leo Jenkins Cancer Center at East Carolina University, 2015 Pitt County Breast Wellness Initiative: Regional Screening
Leo Jenkins Cancer Center at East Carolina University, Bridging the Gaps in Breast Cancer Treatment 2015
Lincoln Community Health Center Inc., Mammograms for Low-Income and Underinsured Men and Women
Novant Brunswick Medical Center Foundation, Breast Screening and Diagnostics Program for Uninsured and Underinsured Women in Brunswick County
Orange County Health Department, Project Access – Orange County
Piedmont Health Services Inc., Project Access – Chatham County
Rex Healthcare Foundation, Rex Mammography Assistance Program – Screenings
Warren Community Health Clinic Inc., Warren Vance Breast Health Initiative
The 1 in 8k Moore for the Cure is a fall feature event of the Sandhills Race Series. For more information on the race or to register, visit www.1in8k.org. For more information on the screenings program, visit www.firsthealth.org/komenscreenings or call (888) 534-5333.
