Thanks to Georgia residents who purchased Breast Cancer License Tags, Grady Health System has been awarded $50,000 to expand the Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence Lay Navigation Program for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. The expansion will allow more patients -- predominantly African American women or women of other ethnicities who are underinsured, uninsured, or are on Medicaid or Medicare -- to connect with navigators who are breast cancer survivors and will guide them through the diagnosis and treatment process.
 
”With this generous gift, we will experience a growth in the number of patients being retained and completing treatment in a timely manner,” said Pooja Mishra, Grady’s Executive Director for the Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence. “The lay navigators assist the nurse navigator with supporting patients through the continuum of care, including identifying barriers to care, such as transportation and finances. As cancer survivors themselves, they bring their unique perspective and hope to the newly diagnosed women. This also supports our journey towards person-centered care.”
 
Twenty-two dollars ($22) of each Breast Cancer License Tag purchased or renewed funded the $400,000 in awards this year, administered by the Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education (Georgia CORE) on behalf of the State Office of Rural Health in the Department of Community Health.

“While Georgia has increased breast cancer screening rates, not all women – particularly those without health insurance – receive appropriate screening or treatment,” says Angie Patterson, Vice President of Georgia CORE and a 17-year breast cancer survivor.  “The work this grant supports will help identify breast cancer at an earlier stage, making treatment more effective. We hope that more Georgians will purchase the tags to provide even more resources for underserved women,” she added.