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PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks' Kathryn Wall, pictured with co-worker and cancer survivor Ashley Carter, right, announces the launch of U-35, a health care program for people under the age of 35.
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PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks' Kathryn Wall, pictured with co-worker and cancer survivor Ashley Carter, right, announces the launch of U-35, a health care program for people under the age of 35.

New BCFO program U-35 to fill gap in care

Nonprofit partners with CoxHealth and Mercy on the initiative

Posted online

Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks is taking aim at a gap in health care with its new pilot program for people under the age of 35.

Dubbed U-35, the program covers the costs of diagnostic mammograms, ultrasounds and biopsies for those uninsured or underinsured, according to BCFO officials. The nonprofit is partnering with CoxHealth and Mercy on the initiative, which was announced at BCFO’s annual A Time to Share event in April.

“There’s this universal misunderstanding that breast cancer doesn’t happen in younger women and men,” said Kathryn Wall, director of community engagement for BCFO. “That’s not true. That’s not the reality that we see.”

Wall said people under the age of 35 served by BCFO grew last year to 5% from 1%-2% of its population served in previous years.

In the week after signing formal agreements to start U-35, Wall said two people under 35 years old called in need of services. Getting them help contrasted with three instances she recalled last year shortly after beginning her job at BCFO, where callers also under 35 were told by the nonprofit they didn’t have resources for them.

“We also didn’t have a place to point them to because there just wasn’t a dedicated program for this age group,” she said. “It was heartbreaking, especially at an organization where so many times people reach out to us when they think there is no hope.”

Since its founding in 1999, BCFO has provided over $7 million in direct financial help to patients diagnosed with breast cancer, as well as their families. Aid includes health care services and assistance for short-term nonmedical needs, such as housing expenses, car payments, groceries and utilities.

While state program Show Me Healthy Women covers breast cancer diagnosis costs for women who are 35 and older, it doesn’t extend to those under 35. Additionally, Medicare will not pay for a screening mammogram performed on a woman under 35 years old, according to the American College of Radiology.

Starting up
BCFO raised nearly $9,000 last year through a crowdfunding campaign, which Wall said was started to demonstrate community buy-in for U-35 as the nonprofit pursued a national grant from media company Gannett Co. Inc. (NYSE: GCI). BCFO didn’t receive the grant, but the crowdfunding gave the nonprofit confidence program support was there, she said.

“That kind of lit a fire where we realized our community understands there’s need here. Let’s keep pursuing this,” she said, adding the organization has since received $30,000 from Digital Monitoring Products Inc. for U-35.

The nearly $40,000 is initially financing the program, Wall said.

“We’re very excited about it and excited to see how we can help the ladies of the Ozarks,” said Susan Smith, manager of CoxHealth’s Breast Care Clinic.

Wall said the nonprofit worked with CoxHealth and Mercy to get contract language in place and will handle patient billing with the health care systems.

“Everything will be billed directly through BCFO,” Smith said of the diagnostic exams, adding CoxHealth has long worked with the nonprofit to provide free screening mammograms.

During the first 12 months of the program, Wall said BCFO expects to serve 22 people at an estimated cost of $24,200. The nonprofit is seeking additional funds, including grants, to continue the program in the future. Since the organization serves 37 counties in four states, she said expanding it beyond Springfield also is a long-term desire.

“That’s one of the things we’re really looking to understand better in the next year,” she said of expectations for how many will annually seek program services. “The pie-in-the-sky option is that we want to help everyone we possibly can.”

Disease frequency
According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 8 women and 1 in 833 men will experience a breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. While the frequency is less in younger women – 1 in 209 at age 30 – local officials say it’s still significant. ACS data show over 281,000 new cases of breast cancer last year among all females.

Smith said prevalence of breast cancer cases, including in younger patients, is partly because of the ability to better detect the disease. Women also in recent years have become more proactive in their health care screenings, she added.

“Technology has gotten so good,” CoxHealth’s Smith said. “Our detection rate is greater because of our new technology.”

Wall said she was surprised by the number of cancer survivors diagnosed at a young age who were participating at BCFO’s A Time to Share, which drew an event record of over 600 people to the Gillioz Theatre.

At the event, 55 breast cancer survivors took the stage to serve as models for the fashion show. When prompted by Wall, those diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 35 were asked to step forward. Sixteen people, including one male, did so.

“In our minds, we thought there might be five or six people in that group,” Wall said. “It was a really amazing and powerful moment for me.

“They put a face on the fact that this can and does happen.”

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