http://www.lewisu.edu/news/Newsarticle.htm?PArticleID=8297
Lewis University College of Nursing and Health Professions teamed up with the Illinois Department of Public Health in the battle against breast cancer. A $20,000 IDPH grant sponsored an initiative by Lewis University faculty and students to provide breast cancer education to more than 100 women in Will and Cook counties. Lewis partnered with several organizations, such as Daybreak Center in Joliet and South Suburban PADS in Chicago Heights, to reach low-income women.
"We want to reach women who are unlikely to receive regular medical care because they are low-income, homeless, or under- or uninsured," commented Nanci Peek, co-director of the program and Lewis community health instructor.
Lewis student nurses provided four community-based workshops focused on overcoming the fear related to screening, understanding the benefits of early detection, and accessing affordable or free screening since fear and cost are consistently rated high as reasons for not seeking breast cancer screening services. They also provided women with information on access to free mammograms and other screening processes.
The first workshop was held March 30 at a Lewis University Health Fair. About 70 people attended a 10-minute presentation. "Interestingly, we had a few men that expressed interest in the topic since a family member or friend was diagnosed with cancer," noted Peek.
Another target audience heard the message during the second workshop held in the evening of March 30 at a South Suburban PADS site for women in a Country Club Hills church. Fourteen women, most of which were over 50 years old and unemployed, participated in a 20-minute presentation. "Although most of the women were unemployed, a majority of them reported having health insurance through Medicaid, which provides prevention and treatment options," added Jane Trainor, a co-director of the project and Lewis nursing instructor.
Similar circumstances were found during the third workshop April 9 at DayBreak Center in Joliet. The 15 women were unemployed and homeless, but the racial diversity was greater with the third workshop. The audience was about half Caucasian and half African American; the second workshop was presented to primarily African American females.
The final workshop was presented July 16 to more than 50 Sodexo Food Services employees and their family and friends. Pink decorations greeted the women; a majority of them were Hispanic. A Spanish translator provided services during the presentation and then again during personal conversations with Lewis students and faculty.
Megha Shah, a Lewis nursing student, was one of the students that coordinated the July 16 presentation. She commented, "We were very pleased with the turnout of so many women and their friends. It was very rewarding to be a part of this outreach, and to see the interest from the women since the topic is often avoided but essential to discuss."
Evaluations are conducted four to six months after the workshops to analyze how effective the methods were in successful education about breast cancer and inciting action for breast cancer prevention. Immediate post evaluations indicate that at all sites, there was an increased awareness about self breast examinations, mammograms and breast cancer risk factors.
"During our discussions with the participants, we found them to be enthusiastic about the importance of early detection and treatment since the scope of the disease is so broad. We were glad many of the participants were eager to receive information on resources for prevention, such as free or low cost screenings," commented Trainor.
Peek added, "Most importantly, we were excited to hear that the participants planned to share their newly acquired knowledge about breast cancer and its prevention with other women. This extends the scale of our outreach."
Lewis University is a Catholic university offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 5,800 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares ethically grounded, globally aware, and socially responsible graduates. The ninth largest not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit http://www.lewisu.edu for further information.
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Breast Cancer prevention and screening tipsby LewisUniversity161 views
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