Little Rock—The ABCCCP/BreastCare Program, administered by the Arkansas Department of Health, gave $84,000 in federal grants to 20 community groups across the state. The funding was awarded to initiate community and minority education and outreach programs on breast and cervical cancer.

Community organizations, hospitals, local health departments, Hometown Health Improvement community coalitions, schools and churches will use the funds to assist the ABCCCP/BreastCare Program in educating, identifying and enrolling eligible women for services and provide navigation assistance. The awards range from $227 to $9,000.

All of the proposals were designed to help ensure that these women receive important screening, diagnostic and treatment services through the ABCCCP and BreastCare. Activities include educational presentations in the community, work sites and health fairs. In the northwest region of the state, Spanish-speaking peer counselors will offer individual educational information. Groups in the southwest region of the state will get the message to the African American population through the Pink Carnation Sunday Campaign. Activities are planned for local churches, health fairs and community programs.

Grant recipients in the southeast region of Arkansas will include activities by The Witness Project and other community programs to reach the African American community with this life-saving information. Partners, such as Kroger, are also collaborating to offer statewide events such as pharmacy outreach.

The communities and organizations that will be receiving awards are as follows:

Madison County Health Department, Huntsville, Nancy Marsh, RN

Palarm Chapel Baptist Church, Mayflower, Shirley Pleasants

Tabernacle M.B. Church Health Ministry, Dermott, Judy Lattimore

Mid-Delta Health Systems Inc., Clarendon, Monica Lindley, RN

Hempstead, Lafayette, and Nevada County Health Departments, Janet McAdams

Baxter Regional Medical Center, Mountain Home, Jan Ringler

St. Joseph's Mercy Health Center, Hot Springs, Marsha Oliver, RN

Central Region Hometown Health, Little Rock, Liz Rainwater

Pope County Health Department, Russellville, Debbie Rodgers

Mena Medical Center and Polk County Health Department, Mena, Pam Posey

Camden NAACP, Camden, Sherry Akins, RN

Johnson County Health Department, Clarksville, Mary Glassock, RN

New Horizon Church & ITS Ministries, Fordyce, Margaret

Office of Human Concern, Bentonville, Jim Brown

Saline County Health Department, Benton, Linda Paulovich

Drew County Community Coalition, Monticello, Lisa England, RN

Jefferson Comprehensive Care System, College Station, Larnell Davis

Northwest Arkansas Support House, Bentonville, Gay Prescott & Megan Murphy

Arkansas Minority Health Commission, The Delta Region, Charlotte Lewellen

Ashley County Medical Center, Crossett, Cheryl Rabalais, RN.

"We hope this local push to educate, identify, and enroll women into the BreastCare program will lead to more women enrolling in the early stages of cancer when more treatment options are available and survival rates are higher," said Angela Grimmett, Public Education Coordinator for the program.

If you are interested in finding out more about the ABCCCP Mini-Grant Program, please contact Barbara Hager, Program Team Leader at 501-661-2495.

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