Five years ago, a small group of women changed the face of women’s health care in Mississippi. “Right after we opened the new Center for Breast Health Center at Baptist Health Systems, we started to see women who fell into a crack,” admits Dr. Barbie Sullivan, Executive Medical Director for Women’s Services at Baptist Hospital in Jackson. “I would see patients who refused to have a mammogram simply because they could not afford it or the next step in treatment.”
Though Mississippi does not have the highest rate of breast cancer cases, shockingly, we have the highest death rate. Determined to change that, Sullivan and four other women started fund for the girls in 2012. Fund for the girls offers payment for breast health services, including screening and diagnostic mammograms, ultrasounds, biopsies and other services, initiated through the physicians on staff at Baptist Health Systems. Sullivan says, “We require that all of our patients are referred by a physician. If they do not have a physician, we will help them find one! It ensures they have had appropriate screening and gets them into a system providing care.”
Through special events and generous donations, fund for the girls has raised over $520,000. Though the charity is very young, its impact has been phenomenal. Sullivan smiles, “Over 1,100 women have been helped so far. As of August 2016, 983 have received a mammogram, 285 had ultrasounds and 57 had biopsies. Mississippi is truly the most charitable state.”
If you are interested in donating your time or money to fund for the girls, please visit their website, www.fundforthegirls.com. Early detection of breast cancer is imperative. Fund for the girls is running a new campaign, “Give Your 18: Honor Your Mother. Lift Another.” If just ten people donate eighteen dollars, one Mississippian will receive a mammogram. Your eighteen dollars might just save a life.
“I hope they do find a cure, but early detection is the best we have to offer right now,” says Sullivan. “My ultimate goal is to get fund for the girls to a point where we can help any woman in the state of Mississippi and come up with a way to have a traveling mammogram. I wanted to be able to help every woman in Jackson and the surrounding areas across the state in the near future.”
Though Mississippi does not have the highest rate of breast cancer cases, shockingly, we have the highest death rate. Determined to change that, Sullivan and four other women started fund for the girls in 2012. Fund for the girls offers payment for breast health services, including screening and diagnostic mammograms, ultrasounds, biopsies and other services, initiated through the physicians on staff at Baptist Health Systems. Sullivan says, “We require that all of our patients are referred by a physician. If they do not have a physician, we will help them find one! It ensures they have had appropriate screening and gets them into a system providing care.”
Through special events and generous donations, fund for the girls has raised over $520,000. Though the charity is very young, its impact has been phenomenal. Sullivan smiles, “Over 1,100 women have been helped so far. As of August 2016, 983 have received a mammogram, 285 had ultrasounds and 57 had biopsies. Mississippi is truly the most charitable state.”
If you are interested in donating your time or money to fund for the girls, please visit their website, www.fundforthegirls.com. Early detection of breast cancer is imperative. Fund for the girls is running a new campaign, “Give Your 18: Honor Your Mother. Lift Another.” If just ten people donate eighteen dollars, one Mississippian will receive a mammogram. Your eighteen dollars might just save a life.
“I hope they do find a cure, but early detection is the best we have to offer right now,” says Sullivan. “My ultimate goal is to get fund for the girls to a point where we can help any woman in the state of Mississippi and come up with a way to have a traveling mammogram. I wanted to be able to help every woman in Jackson and the surrounding areas across the state in the near future.”
{Blog post by Mitchell Walters.}
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