Holy Cross Hospital Receives $750,000 Grant for Mammogram Program

[Howard Hartman]

For Immediate Release December 14, 2009

Holy Cross Hospital Receives $750,000 Grant
from Susan G. Komen for the Cure for a
Community-Assisted Mammogram Program

(Silver Spring, Maryland) - Holy Cross Hospital Foundation announced today tthat Holy Cross Hospital of Silver Spring, Maryland has been awarded a grant from Susan G. Komen for the Cure in the amount of $750,000. The grant provides $250,000 per year for three years and will create the Komen Community-Assisted Mammogram Program. This brings Komen's total support to Holy Cross Hospital for breast cancer outreach to more than $1.3 million since 2002.

Through its extensive Community Health Division, Holy Cross Hospital will use this funding to collaborate with Montgomery County’s African American Health Program and Asian American Health Initiative and CASA of Maryland and the Community Ministries of Rockville to conduct a culturally competent outreach, education, early detection, and patient navigation program with a variety of supportive services for individuals facing cultural, linguistic, economic and geographic barriers to breast care in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. In addition, the Komen Community-Assisted Mammogram Program will provide a safety net for low-income and medically underserved racial and ethnic groups ineligible for state and local cancer programs.

Program participants will be linked to the Holy Cross Hospital Health Centers at Montgomery College in Silver Spring and in Gaithersburg and six other Montgomery Cares sites to assist with navigation of the entire continuum of breast health care and ensure enrollment into free or low-fee primary health care services.

For six years, Holy Cross Hospital and Komen have been reducing breast cancer disparities among racial and ethnic minorities. Through this partnership and funding from the Holy Cross Hospital Foundation, Holy Cross Hospital has provided more than 1,500 free screening and diagnostic services and breast health education to more than 30,000 uninsured and underserved community members.

During the last six years of public reporting required by the State of Maryland, Holy Cross Hospital and has provided more than $130 million in community benefit including nearly $55 million in financial assistance to the uninsured and underinsured. The ongoing partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Holy Cross Hospital Foundation and the award of this grant is just the latest evidence of the hospital’s commitment to community benefit.