Los Angeles County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen Announces 2013 Grant Recipients: Funding Local Programs for Breast Cancer Diagnostic Services, Psychosocial Support and Patient Navigation

LOS ANGELES, June 28, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Breast cancer awareness, screening, diagnostics, treatment, and follow-up care are vital to ensuring the health of Los Angeles County's residents. To address the breast cancer needs of the LA community, The Los Angeles County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen funds community-based breast health programs that provide diagnostic services, patient navigation, and psychosocial support to men and women in need.

• Diagnostic services are the tests designed to confirm or rule out cancer when a patient is symptomatic of breast cancer or screening tests yield abnormal results. Diagnostic services include mammograms, ultrasounds, fine needle aspirations, and biopsies.
• Patient navigation is a process by which a public health professional (patient navigator) guides patients through the complex cancer care system to help ensure timely diagnosis and treatment. There are many issues patient navigators help with including access to transportation, limited financial resources, socio cultural barriers, and fear/anxiety.
• Psychosocial support includes services promoting mental health and reducing psychosocial concerns and stress associated with a breast cancer diagnosis. These programs often take the form of a support group for patients, survivors, and/or co-survivors.

Komen LA County focuses on funding culturally appropriate programs that close the gap in breast cancer disparities for underserved individuals and communities. This year, Komen LA County will provide for over 2,300 vital breast health and breast cancer services through its 12 grantees. Specifically, through the 2013-2014 grants program, Komen LA County will provide for:

• 1,477 diagnostic services including ultrasounds, biopsies, and diagnostic mammograms;
• 564 patient navigation services to those facing breast cancer; and
• Psychosocial support services to 200 breast cancer survivors.

Komen LA County is proud to announce its 2013-2014 grantees, categorically listed below. Detailed descriptions of each program can be found online at http://bit.ly/11NP1Zg:

Diagnostic Services
Sheila R. Veloz Breast Imaging Center at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital
Breast Cancer Diagnostic Services for Symptomatic Women and Men

Marcia Ray Breast Center at Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center
Diagnostic Breast Project for Women Under 40

Sr. Sabina Sullivan Women's Health Center at St. Mary Medical Center
Women Under 40 Diagnostic Program

The Los Angeles Center for Women's Health at California Hospital Medical Center
Breast Diagnostic Program

Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center Foundation
Breast Diagnostic Services for Symptomatic Patients 

Cecilia Gonzalez De La Hoya Cancer Center at White Memorial Medical Center
Provision of Diagnostic Cancer Services to Symptomatic Men and Women under Age 40

Patient Navigation Services
Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Community Alliance
Thai Women's Health Project, Patient Navigation

City of Hope - Antelope Valley
Navigation of Breast Cancer Treatment and Survivorship Care Plans  

The Saban Free Clinic
Collaborative Diagnostic Breast Cancer Project

St. Mary Medical Center
South East Asian Breast Health Project

Psychosocial Support Services
Kommah Seray Inflammatory Breast Cancer Foundation
EveryBody Needs Time to Play

Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Community Alliance
Thai Women's Health Project, Psychosocial Support

About Susan G. Komen®
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Suzy, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer. Today, Susan G. Komen® works to end breast cancer in the U.S. and throughout the world by investing more than $750 million in breast cancer research and $1.5 billion in community outreach programs over the past 30 years; providing funding to help low-income and uninsured women get screened and get treatment; advocating for cancer research and outreach programs; and working globally in more than 30 countries. Komen Los Angeles County is working to better the lives of those facing breast cancer in the local community. Through events like the Komen LA County Race for the Cure®, the Los Angeles County Affiliate has invested more than $10 million in community breast health programs. Up to 75 percent of net proceeds generated by the Affiliate stays in Los Angeles County.  The remaining funds are invested in breast cancer research, as part of the national Susan G. Komen Grants Program. For more information, call 310-575-3011 or visit www.komenLAcounty.org.

SOURCE Los Angeles County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen