In recent years, the Centers for Disease Control have awarded North Carolina funds for the implementation of the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP). The overall objectives are to reduce the number of deaths due to breast and cervical cancer by finding these cancers early and to provide screening to those at increased risk who are not financially able to pay.
The Person County Health Department offers the BCCCP clinic on the second and fourth Thursday of each month and during Adult Health clinics (first and third Thursday) if needed. Two registered nurses, two lab technicians, and a clerical worker staff the clinic. A health educator is available to teach new BCCCP patients about breast self-examinations. Clinic patients are recruited from the community. Populations targeted for recruitment are women who are age 50-64, on a limited income who does not have Medicare, Medicaid, or private health insurance.
This program offers women Pap smears, clinical breast exams, lab services, individualized counseling, and education. Participants are given appointments to Person Memorial Hospital where they receive mammogram screenings. Significant clinical findings are reported to the participants and are also sent to a physician for follow-up. Since the beginning of BCCCP in 1993, Person County Health Department identified 12 cases of breast cancer and no cases of cervical cancer.
In January of 1995, a cardiovascular disease (CVD) screening component was added to BCCCP. Wise Woman Program participants were then given the opportunity to get their cholesterol tested as well as their height, weight, and blood pressure to assess their risk for CVD.
Women enrolled in the BCCCP are eligible for the Wise Woman Program which provides cardiovascular screening and follow-up services. Patients are counseled and given a notebook with information on low fat, low sodium diets, smoking cessation, exercise and osteoporosis. They are also given an exercise band and instructions on different exercises to use with the band.
All lab reports are sent to the patient’s physician to provide continuity of care for the patient. The nurse checks to see that the patient is receiving follow-up with her physician as needed.
These goals are accomplished through a variety of outreach interventions such as educational presentations, media campaigns, health fairs, participation in community events, personal contacts, special campaigns, etc. The health department networks with a variety of community resources, both traditional and non-traditional, to implement outreach programs. The health promotion coordinator is primarily responsible for planning, organizing, implementing, and evaluating BCCCP outreach efforts.
BCCCP promotion and outreach continue to be the responsibility of the same health educator working with Health Promotion. Duties in this area are to:
- Promote the availability of BCCCP services to the community
- Educate women about early detection and BCCCP services through various interventions.
“Breast Cancer Awareness in Person County” was a two-fold initiative with a concentration on African-American women. A Community Health Coalition was formed. The student intern recruited members from the African-American churches and civic organizations. Coalition members, in turn, helped recruit women in the community to participate in a Lay Health Advisor Training that took place in the Fall of 1999. The training equipped over twenty-five women with the information that they needed to comfortably talk with others (on an individual or group level) about breast cancer and early detection. These women will be vital in helping promote BCCCP in the community as well as educating their family and friends about early detection.
Coalition members are currently planning more awareness events for the future. They have expressed an interest in continuing the work of the coalition after the duration of the student intern’s project! The health promotion coordinator will facilitate the coalition at this point.
“Reaching Our Communities in Person” is a comprehensive breast cancer awareness project to address health disparities in our county through screening services, education, and outreach. It involves taking the message of early detection into new communities, as well as including men in outreach efforts. With financial support from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the Person County Health Department and its community partners will:
- Expand breast screening services through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP) to make available more screenings to women ages 35-49 for one year.
- Educate local health care providers about BCCCP services and any expanded services available.
- Develop outreach programs to increase the number of minority women in Person County screened for breast cancer by educating them about early detection interventions and county resources.