“Blessed to be a blessing.”
Typical of many ministers, Rev. Dottie Dumas intended to “bless” her community when she
scheduled The Rose’s Mobile Mammography for a day of screening at First United
Methodist Church of Brookshire (707 Cooper at 7th Street). Instead,
she reaped the benefit of her good intentions by having her own breast cancer
detected.
Rev. Dumas had invited The Rose to the Brookshire community the prior year. As a
result she met Stephanie Wehring, the Community Patient Navigator for The Rose
who covers a four county region, providing breast health awareness and
arranging for mobile sites.
“Because of my friendship with Stephanie, I learned that women who do have insurance and get their insured mammograms with The Rose help pay for the women who are uninsured. So I thought it would be a win/win all the way around,” said Rev. Dumas.
Her diagnosis came just prior to her husband having major back surgery, and, while undergoing radiation, she lost her 96-year-old mother. “I was kind of in a dream, a fog, or really a nightmare,” she shared. “I was kind of numb; it didn’t seem real. But I knew that God was in control… I kept reminding myself to know that God had it covered.”
Diagnosed early, with a Stage 2 breast cancer, Rev. Dumas was able to avoid chemotherapy.
“In July, I went for my six month checkup and everything still looked good. Though you sometimes have the thought way back in your mind that it could reoccur, Iam not dwelling on that. I’m focused on ‘it’s gone and it’s going to stay gone.’”
Setting up a mobile site was easy for the very supportive congregation who views the service as a ministry to the community.
While the church provided the fellowship hall, refreshments, and even games for the children who accompanied their mothers, local doctors and Fort Bend Family Health Center (now AccessHealth) provided the needed referrals.
As a result, more than 20 women received peace of mind or the news that a follow up was needed. The church is even considering making it an annual event.
Which is good because only three facilities offer screening mammograms within 25 miles of Brookshire and only one of those accepts uninsured patients (and that offering is through a partnership with The Rose’s Mobile Mammography Program). For many women, those 25 miles are often insurmountable. A recent informal study showed that online resources suggesting “nearby” services may link to geographically-near options but are more than a two-hour commute when the patient is using public transportation. And in rural counties, public transportation is non-existent.
For almost three decades The Rose’s mission has focused on providing access to care regardless of a woman’s ability to pay. Barriers to access can be financial but distance and convenience also play a role.
American Cancer Society (ACS) studies show that 46.8% of Texas women, 40 years and older, did not receive a screening mammogram in the last year, 33% have no healthcare coverage and 26.4% have no health home to access care.
In Houston – of the women over age 40 – only 50% are getting their annual mammograms. Nationwide studies have shown that women delay their own health care for multiple reasons, even more so among low-income women. Reasons include: – finances including the cost of child care, lack of transportation, and limited time off from work. Even the insured woman lists time as a factor for delaying care.
“We know that early detection is critical to breast cancer treatment and survival,” said Dorothy Gibbons, CEO and Co-Founder of The Rose. “And we also know that half of all counties based in Texas do not have access to a mammogram facility and that as a result, we see more late stage cancers and … ultimately death in rural counties than we do in urban areas.
“The Rose started because my friend and co-founder Dr. Dixie Melillo and I saw too many women lose their lives back in the 1980s as a result of their cancers being found too late. We couldn’t stand by and watch and we won’t now. The Rose’s mobile program has the capacity to literally save lives.”
The Rose’s Mobile Mammography Program currently extends to 25 counties in Texas providing screenings to more than 7,300 women annually with almost 4,700 of those patients needing some sort of financial sponsorship.
Last year, breast cancer was found in 81 women served by The Rose’s Mobile Program –
33 were in the earliest stages.
“When you look at the facts, The Rose and our partners serving the uninsured and underserved are literally saving lives,” said Gibbons. “While that should be all the incentive we need, we are also very aware that with early detection we are saving money as well.”
The provision of such life-saving and cost-saving care comes with its own price however. A fully equipped mobile unit with state-of-the-art equipment and quality staff costs nearly $700,000 to put on the road and out into the community. Once there, the success rate is still dependent upon education.
As a Community Patient Navigator, Stephanie Wehring helps provide that needed education and awareness in Brazoria, Chambers, Liberty and Waller counties. In fact, she has established a partnership with Brazoria County Library System and has an upcoming mobile mammography program scheduled for Alvin Library on October 8th and West Columbia Library on October 29th.
For more information on mobile mammography call 281.464.5136. To contact Stephanie Wehring call 979.203.0610 or email [email protected].
