The Pink Ribbon Society understands the importance of annual screenings for our women community. Ann Peters, Founder and President and Christine Cain, Vice President, Pink Ribbon Society, covered the Pap Smears screenings cost. Participants also scheduled their annual screening mammogram.
“Our goal is to support the men and women in Lake, Porter, Jasper, and Newton counties whose lives have been touched by breast cancer,” said Peters. “A big part of this is educating women about the importance of early detection. Since our organization was founded, we’ve been able to help the community by providing mammograms, covering the cost of wigs, and paying for compression sleeves. We also offer financial assistance programs for women undergoing treatment. Our mission is to help wherever we can, especially with early detection and during treatment. If we save even one life, we’ve accomplished our goal."
“One of the most important aspects of our organization is that all of our funds stay within Lake, Porter, Jasper, and Newton counties,” said Cain. “The proceeds we receive are reinvested directly into our community.”
Jennifer Sanders, the manager of the Breast Center, and Bethany Wignall, an Oncology Nurse Navigator in the Cancer Center, played key roles in coordinating the event.
“It’s been a long-time goal of our Cancer Center to create a women’s screening event,” said Wignall. “We’re thrilled to finally bring it to life through collaboration with the Breast Center. We’re offering both mammogram and Pap smear services so women can take care of their annual health screenings all in one place. We’ve also made it a fun and educational event, with vendors providing resources on women’s health, cancer prevention, and financial services, where women can get answers to questions about finances or insurance. It’s a productive and supportive event for the women in our community.”
“Breast cancer and cervical cancer are linked through the same gene, the BRCA gene. So, if you're at risk for one, you're also at risk for the other," said Sanders. "This event is a collaboration between the two departments. My focus was on ensuring women received their mammograms, and hers was to make sure they got their Pap smears. Porter County has only a 57% mammogram screening rate, and Lake County is even lower at 52%. Women in our community aren't getting these vital screenings done every year, so we’re here to provide another way to bring them in.”
Not every woman has insurance or knowledge of their local OB/GYN providers. This event helps by providing screenings for those who may not otherwise have access to such services.
“Our goal with the Pap smear screening was to target women who are not under the care of an OB/GYN,” said Wignall. “We aimed to reach those patients who need help getting their annual screenings done. That’s the population we focused on, and in doing so, we're supporting the women in our community who need it most.”
Debbie Equihua, a Methodist Physicians Group provider, volunteered at the event.
“The reason we’re here is that women’s health care is fundamental and very significant for families and communities," said Equihua. "We want to ensure that everyone have access to high-quality care and screenings.”
Wignall is excited about the future, believing that this event will continue to expand and further support the community.
“We’ve received incredible support from our Methodist community, with our providers volunteering their time to come in on a Saturday to perform Pap smears,” said Wignall. “Our staff has come together to make this happen, and it’s truly inspiring to see so many genuine people wanting to do what’s best for our patients and our community. We’re proud to be a small part of this effort for the women today and would love to see this event grow even more in the future.”
For more information please visit: methodisthospitals.org/services/breast-care-center-at-methodist-hospitals/ or pinkribbonsociety.org.
