Why Phoenix, Arizona?
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death and the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Arizona women. As in other communities, some Arizona women -- racial and ethnic minorities, the poor, and those with little or no health insurance - are less likely to receive quality breast cancer care and are more likely to die than others. The Komen Community Challenge made its ninth stop in Phoenix to help restore the sense of urgency to the breast cancer movement, especially when it comes to addressing disparities in care and mortality.
Did You Know?
Nearly 20 percent of Arizona residents are uninsured. For uninsured women with breast cancer, the risk of dying is 30 to 50 percent higher than for insured women.
Did You Know?
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic women. Hispanic women are about 20 percent more likely to die of breast cancer than non-Hispanic white women who are diagnosed at a similar age and stage.
Public Policy Challenge
Arizona's Well Woman Health Check program provides free mammograms and early detection services for uninsured, low-income women aged 40 to 64. Under current funding levels, the program reaches only about six percent of eligible women. In addition, Arizona exercises a loophole in the Federal Treatment Act to deny Medicaid coverage to women with breast cancer based solely on where they were screened. Uninsured and underinsured women who are diagnosed through the Well Woman Health Check program may receive treatment through Medicaid while those screened outside of this program are not eligible for Medicaid-funded treatment. The Arizona Komen Community Challenge focused on improving public policies in the state so that surviving breast cancer would no longer depend on where a woman lives, the color of her skin, how much money she makes, or which clinic she went to for her diagnosis.
The Events
On October 3, 2007, the Phoenix Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® organized a tour of Mountain Park Health Center to investigate a new program that is improving access to mammography for low-income women. Those touring the program included Representative Cloves Campbell, Jr., Representative Kyrsten Sinema, and Irene Jacobs, Executive Director, Governor's Office of Women, Children and Families. Mountain Park set a goal of increasing the proportion of their patients who receive a mammogram from the current level of 25 percent to 35 percent. To accomplish this goal, Mountain Park uses bilingual patient navigators to individually contact every female patient over 40 who has not received her mammogram within the past two years - approximately 7,000 local women. Aggressive, innovative programs like this one are helping to Close the Gaps in Phoenix and could be replicated nationwide.
That weekend, hundreds of families gathered in Cesar Chavez Park for an "Honor la familia … Celebrate our sisters!" barbeque and breast health educational event. Health care advocates made the women in the audience aware of the availability of free breast cancer screenings through the Well Woman Health Check program. State Senator Leah Landrum Taylor and Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox talked about the importance of public policy in addressing unmet breast health needs. The two policymakers also co-authored an opinion editorial in The Arizona Republic urging more action to address the state's breast cancer crisis.
Outcome and Next Steps
The Arizona Komen Community Challenge inspired legislators and activists to action. During the site visit at Mountain Park, Representative Sinema committed to working with Komen and Representative Campbell to expand Medicaid coverage for all eligible women with breast cancer. When this initiative is passed, a woman's ability to receive payment for her treatment will no longer depend on which clinic she went to for her diagnosis. The Komen Phoenix Affiliate is also building support for increased funding for Well Woman Health Check so that more women have access to life-saving screenings and early detection services. We need your help to build on the momentum generated by the Arizona Komen Community Challenge. Please contact your legislators and urge them to Close the Gaps that make breast cancer deadlier for some women.
