Kingsbrook Receives Susan G. Komen Grant

Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center was awarded $72,000 from The Greater New York City Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure in support of the facility's breast health outreach initiative. The program is designed to provide mammography services in underserved communities throughout Central Brooklyn to minority women aged 40 and older.

Through this vital funding, Kingsbrook's Breast Health Program will provide community awareness programs, group and private education workshops about the importance of breast screening, and will provide referrals for mammography services. Additionally, the program will also provide needed services to many women who are under or non-insured in the community.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in the United States and the leading single cause of death overall in women between the ages of 40 and 55. According to the American Cancer Society, 14,610 new cases of breast cancer will be detected in New York State this year and over 2,400 lives will be lost. Nationwide, there is a new diagnosis every three minutes and a death from breast cancer every 14 minutes.

Closer to home in Central Brooklyn, breast cancer has the highest death rate among our female residents, yet women in our primary service areas seek and receive mammograms for breast cancer at a rate well below the 85% target. This translates into a mortality rate for Central Brooklyn women of 34 deaths per 100,000 from breast cancer, compared with 26 deaths per 100,000 throughout New York City. While advances have been made in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure, early detection still affords the best opportunity for successful treatment. Programs such as Kingsbrook's Breast Health Program help ensure that all women have access to early detection information and options, even poor and medically underserved women.

"Our breast cancer initiatives have helped thousands of women in our community over the years, "states Enid Dillard, Director of Marketing & Public Affairs. "We are proud to continue our work in partnership with Susan G. Komen and we are extremely honored that they chose to support us in our ongoing prevention efforts

With over $1.5 billion invested to date, Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the world's largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to curing breast cancer at every stage - from the causes, to the cures, to the pain and anxiety of every moment in between. Susan G. Komen for the Cure has played a critical role in every major advance in the fight against breast cancer for more than a quarter of a century - transforming how the world talks about and treats this disease and helping to turn millions of breast cancer patients into breast cancer survivors.

Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, celebrating its 87^th year, is a teaching Medical Center, dedicated to meeting the health needs of one of Brooklyn's most culturally diverse communities. Kingsbrook continues to implement programs and services that respond to the vital health needs and concerns of the community at large.