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Avon, Hollings partner to fight breast cancer On Feb. 1, the Avon Foundation announced a grant to the tune of $332,000 for use in the fight against breast cancer at the Hollings Cancer Center (HCC). This grant will provide the funds to enhance an already strong comprehensive breast cancer care program. It creates a patient navigator program headed by Debbie Bryant, R.N., Breast Health Patient Navigation Program and Mobile Health Unit manager, to help uninsured and underinsured women navigate the system.   “This grant will ensure that underserved women receive timely, complete and high quality care,” Bryant said. “Patients will be navigated through the complex health care system by staff who are culturally representative of the patients they serve, and the program includes assistance for underserved women in securing financial and other resources for diagnosis and treatment.   “We are pleased to have been given this funding as it helps to support our program of comprehensive breast care for all women and strengthens our ongoing outreach to the underserved community,” said Andrew Kraft, M.D.,  HCC director. “This grant could not be given to a better area as we are located in a state with a large population of rural, underserved, low income and African- American women who face many barriers to early diagnosis and treatment.  This program will further enhance our outreach to African-American women who die disproportionately to their numbers.  We all know that early detection and continuation of treatment leads to the best outcome.”   The navigator will do everything from filling out financial forms, arranging to pick patients up, to finding someone to provide childcare while the patient is at an appointment. The point is to help women with few resources get to the doctor and stick with their treatment plan.   One patient discussed what a nice addition the navigator program is to HCC’s comprehensive breast care program. A resident of Walterboro, she experienced a sudden cancellation for an appointment once she arrived on campus. Bryant quickly went into action to handle the situation and get the patient another appointment. “Debbie handled it all in 10 minutes. She told me not to get upset, that she’d handle it… and within a few minutes everything was taken care of and all I had to do was sit there and not get upset,” she said.   “The MUSC Hollings Cancer Center was selected in a competitive process and is now one of 38 Safety Net institutions the Avon Foundation support around the country to provide access to care for uninsured, low income and minority women fighting breast cancer,” said Carol Kurzig, Avon Foundation executive director. “This program is an exciting addition to the comprehensive breast cancer program already providing care for breast cancer patients in the Lowcountry.”    “We are very fortunate to be able to provide this additional dimension to our breast cancer program” said David Cole, M.D., Surgical Oncology director. “In addition to now having a state-of-the-art breast imaging facility and an innovative high risk breast screening program, the Avon grant allows us to reach into the communities that need us the most to help provide access to our comprehensive breast cancer care team at HCC.”     Friday, Jan. 13, 2006 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778, ext. 201.