Ladies First – All Year Long – Breast Cancer Month

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Ladies First – All Year Long – Breast Cancer Month

Breast cancer research has come leaps and bounds over the last thirty years. Recovery for those who have breast cancer is steadily inclining and deaths related to the disease are on the decline (down 40%) because of regular early detection, early treatment, and new research on preventative measures.

The Ladies First program, within the Division of Public Health – Section of Women’s Children’s and Family Health, has been operating in the state of Alaska since 1995, addressing barriers to breast and cervical cancer screening for underserved populations. Ladies First is part of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/index.htm). In addition to activities to improve access to healthcare on a systems level, Ladies First covers the out-of-pocket costs of breast and cervical cancer screening for women who meet age and income requirements. Ladies First contracts with health care providers all over Alaska to provide breast and cervical cancer screening services for those enrolled in the program.

If you or your Community Health Center would like some more information about how Ladies First can benefit your patients, please email APCA’s representative, Tara Ferguson-Gould, or State of Alaska Outreach Coordinator, Cynthia Ross. If you’d like to chat with the program directly, please call 1-800-410-6266. We invite you to print off this brochure to have available to all your patients who may need information about this program.