Money for cervical, breast exams available

Help is available through Women’s Way for people in need of breast exams, mammograms, pelvic exams or Pap smears.

“There’s not paperwork that goes with this … we can enroll them over the phone,” said Deb Fischer, public health nurse and Women’s Way coordinator.

The program’s state and federal funding is available only to women, and there are certain restrictions, including some income qualifications.

Women need to be age 40 to 64 and they need to either have insurance that doesn’t cover preventative screening services, a high deductible or no insurance at all.

However, the local Women’s Way program also has a resource fund, donated by community members and raised by events such as the annual Running of the Pink.

That money can be used to help people who aren’t necessarily in the ordinary purview of Women’s Way, such as men, who can also get breast cancer, or women outside the age range.

It can also be used to help women who need exams or screenings of female-specific organs that aren’t covered by Women’s Way, such as pelvic ultrasounds.

All the money raised for the resource fund — $8,851 last year — stays local. That’s in addition to the $36,751 in screening funds available.

Fischer said her goal is to serve 257 people this year.

Women’s Way will help pay for mammograms and clinical breast exams every year for women beginning at age 40. Those guidelines are consistent with those of the American Cancer Society.

For more information on the program, call Fischer at 701-252-8130.

Sun reporter Kari Lucin can be reached at 701-952-8453

or by email at klucin@jamestownsun.com

Tags: life, health