Linda Creed Breast Cancer. Org Provides No-Cost Breast Cancer Screening For Delaware Valley Women

No-cost mammogram screenings offered at area hospitals this fall. Resources available for women and families affected by breast cancer.

Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) - Free mammography screenings will be held this fall at hospitals across the Greater Delaware Valley region.

Beginning in October, hospitals in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties will partner with the Linda Creed Breast Cancer Foundation. Org to offer no-cost cancer screenings to uninsured women who would otherwise need to pay thousands of dollars for each test.

For most women with private insurance, the cost of screening mammograms is covered without copayments or deductibles. Medicare pays for annual screening mammograms for all female Medicare beneficiaries who are age 40 or older. However, uninsured or low-income women or women under 40 are often forced to pay for screenings out of pocket.

Linda Creed Breast Cancer. Org’s mission is to be the safety net for women who are unable to afford the cost of testing. Thanks to partnerships with several area hospitals and corporate donations, in 2014 Linda Creed sponsored 214 screening mammograms for uninsured women and 192 diagnostic-level tests.

“With nearly a quarter million new cases of invasive breast cancer expected to be diagnosed in 2015 among women in the United States, access to health care is as important today as ever before,” said Executive Director Donna Duncan. “Women without access to healthcare are more at risk for developing breast cancer. Our free screenings provide women the opportunity to have a screening, a clinical exam and receive updated information from a healthcare professional. Creating a long-term relationship with a doctor is a key part of staying healthy. Even with the Affordable Care Act, 9 percent of Philadelphia women still do not have health insurance, and more women are uninsured than men.”

Women who detect breast cancer with screening mammography are able to begin treatment earlier in the course of the disease, possibly before the cancer has spread.

High-risk women who are insured often still need financial assistance to cover testing costs. Private insurance does not cover follow-up testing for 22-25 percent of women who are called back for diagnostic tests.

“Even if a woman has health insurance, these tests can cost thousands of dollars that must be paid out of pocket,” Duncan said. “Many underinsured women can’t afford the follow up tests, so they don’t get them.”

Linda Creed, the famous Philadelphia songwriter with blockbuster hits such as “The Greatest Love of All,” lost her life to breast cancer at the age of 37. Her legacy lives on through the services provided to Delaware Valley women through Linda Creed Breast Cancer. Org. In addition to no-cost screenings and tests, Linda Creed has several programs that provide practical support to families of women undergoing breast cancer treatment.

No-cost mammography screenings will be held this fall at the following area hospitals: 

• Aria Health System (October 3)
• Chestnut Hill Hospital (October 8)
• Chester County Hospital (November 7)
• Jennersville Hospital (October 7)
• Lower Bucks Hospital (date TBD)
• Paoli Hospital (date TBD)

Women in need of screening, or companies interested in sponsoring screenings and diagnostic testing, should contact Donna Duncan at (215)564-3700.

For more information about the Linda Creed Breast Cancer. Org, please visithttp://www.LindaCreed.org or watch our recently-released video.

The Linda Creed Breast Cancer. Org was founded in 1987 by friends and family of Linda Creed Epstein, a Philadelphia songwriter who died at the age of 37, after waging a 10-year battle with breast cancer. Linda Creed was the first free-standing breast cancer organization in Pennsylvania. Dedicated to the early detection and treatment of breast cancer, with the goal of reducing unnecessary suffering and death associated with this disease, Linda Creed empowers women and their families to learn about breast cancer, talk about it, and take control of their health and their lives. To date, more than 15 hospitals have participated in the program, screening over 8,000 women across the Delaware Valley.

Executive Director Donna Duncan has over 35 years of experience in non-profit management and providing human services. Ms. Duncan has been recognized for her advocacy in science and was presented with the American Cancer Society's Project Award for its program "A Day in the Life of the Breast Cancer Research Laboratory...A Workshop for Breast Cancer Advocates." Ms. Duncan is a Board Member of National Breast Cancer Coalition, sits on the Community Academic Advisory Board and the Environmental Center at Fox Chase Cancer Center, and she has been on the external advocate board of the University of Pennsylvania’s Breast Cancer Center of Excellence.

Linda Creed Breast Cancer. Org has been awarded the Glaxo SmithKline Impact Award, received the first Non-Profit Excellence Award from the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and received awards for both the Rainbow Circle and Safe Circle outreach education programs.