University of Florida Board of Trustees: BE AWARE (Breast Education to Advance Women’s Awareness of Risk and to Empower)
Beyond the human loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in locally advanced cancers have been reported due to postponed or cancelled screening appointments.1 The primary purpose of this research is to determine if an educational session consisting of video, web, and mobile platforms can increase breast cancer screening for people with higher-than-a average risk status for breast cancer development. This novel approach will ensure accurate dissemination of information to Floridians, and thus filling a critical gap in breast cancer care.
Overall, this study hypothesizes that the use of educational sessions will improve patient knowledge leading to increased rates of breast cancer screening, and translate to improved survival outcomes statewide.
We plan to conduct virtual educational sessions with supplementary resources including: (1) televised educational sessions focused on risk factors that should lead to earlier breast cancer screening; (2) website highlighting risk status and screening recommendations (3) mobile application that enables personalized screening recommendations. Ultimately, the educational campaign will be delivered with a 2 week-long televised package on local broadcast television with approximately 40 sessions. Analytics will be collected through broadcast viewership, website traffic, and app-based data collection to assess whether this approach is effective in increasing screening behavior.
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute: Moffitt Breast Health Education Expansion
Cancer screening and prevention is central to our mission to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer. In Tampa Bay, there is a large percentage of low income and ethnic minorities, who often do not have access to quality health care and have alarming high rate of cancer incidence and mortality rates for certain types of cancers, including breast cancer. Prevention education is critical to reversing this problem and Moffitt has been conducting educational outreach programs for over 15 years, working with over 200 community partners.
Moffitt currently offers breast health educational programs mainly in the Hillsborough County. The program provides critical breast health education to all women and men who participate in our subsidized screening program, as well as other underserved individuals in our community, designed to engage them in regular self-breast exams and annual screenings and to empower them to proactively take responsibility for their own breast health on an ongoing basis. This grant will fund expansion of virtual education programming into surrounding communities and we will partner with federally qualified health centers to ensure women ages 55-69 obtain mammograms and follow up treatment as needed.
Yodeah, Inc.: Yodeah’s Gen Y Initiative
One in 40 people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent carries a Breast Cancer gene (“BRCA”) mutation, significantly increasing their risk of cancer, and most don’t know. Yodeah’s mission is to educate South Florida’s large Ashkenazi population about hereditary genetic mutations and encourage and facilitate low cost medical grade testing. Yodeah’s Gen Y (for Yodeah) Initiative will reach out to South Florida’s 50,000 Ashkenazi Jewish millennials (singles and couples) ages 25 —40. A parent with a BRCA mutation has a 50% chance of passing the mutation to their child, therefore, it’s crucial to reach people in their childbearing years so they can consider options such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) to prevent BRCA mutations in future generations At least three (virtual and/or in person) sessions led by medical experts will:
- Educate about hereditary genetic mutations and encourage attendees to get tested and share the information with their families and friends.
- Facilitate low cost medical grade testing.
- Educate about steps BRCA carriers can take to prevent cancer or identify cancer at its earliest most treatable stage. 4. Educate about available options, including IVF, to prevent BRCA mutations from being passed to future generations.
Sistaah Talk: My Sistaah’s Keeper
My Sistaah’s Keeper, is a breast health education program highlighting breast cancer prevention, awareness, survivorship and improved quality of life. The focus is decreasing breast cancer disparities by teaching good breast health, lowering risk factors by improved nutrition, increased physical activity and training on virtual health technology skills. This interactive program targets black women, other at-risk women of color, survivors, their families and supporters. The core curriculum of My Sistaah’s Keeper is aimed at increasing participants knowledge of breast health, promoting early detection and prevention, teaching health lifestyles, modifying health behaviors and eliminating the fear and confusion associated with a breast cancer diagnosis. Due to increasing acceptance of telemedicine and mainstream of virtual healthcare, special attention will be focused on teaching participants technical skills needed to effectively utilize technology during tele-medicine visits and virtual education platforms. Participant recruitment and management will be facilitated by members of Sistaah Talk! breast cancer support group. Programs will be presented primarily online in small group settings with an average of 15-20 participants per session. As current COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed, in-person and face-to-face sessions will be resumed. Sistaah Talk intends to educate a minimum of 250 women during the funding cycle.
Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida: Women SHINE Project
Family Health Centers proposes continuing the highly successful Women SHINE Project (Sharing Hope, breast health Information, and the Newest guidelines leaving women Empowered to know their bodies), which was initiated in 2016 with Florida Breast Cancer Foundation support. The Women SHINE Project (“Project”) provides educational opportunities to empower women to become proactive advocates for their breast health. Through critical one-to-one and small group education sessions, this Project successfully reaches the uninsured and underserved women in Lee, Charlotte, and western Hendry Counties. Due to the COVD-19 pandemic, in 2020 we modified our delivery methodology to be compliant with CDC protocols We conducted once a week one-to-one education at three of our busiest medical sites and provided one-to-one education by telephone (including the pre- and post-education questionnaire). Based on current health guidance, we expect to continue this format in 2021.
The Project proposes to continue using proven strategies to identify and educate women in need of breast health information and mammogram services. Because transportation is a major barrier to care for these uninsured and underserved women, in 2021-2022, the Project team will offer education sessions (following CDC protocols) onsite at the three busiest FHC medical offices and at our rural medical office in LaBelle, Florida. In addition, the Project team will contact women in the priority population by telephone to provide one-to-one education. Because language can be a significant barrier to care, the SHINE team offers culturally sensitive, tri-lingual education. The Project team members speak fluent Spanish, English, and Creole. Moreover, the Project team uses visual aids to assist patients who are unable to understand the written educational materials. This strategy allows the patient and the Project team to engage with the teaching material and results in successful outcomes.
Women’s Center of Jacksonville: Bosom Buddies
The Women’s Center of Jacksonville (WCJ) Bosom Buddies Program has served the needs of women in active treatment, those who have completed treatment and long term survivors for over 25 years. The program provides support, advocacy, and education to those recently diagnosed as well as survivors. During, this grant period, if awarded funding we plan to focus on underserved minority populations in two counties. Duval and Nassau located in northeast Florida. Through one on one, small group settings and or through virtual technology, we will educate 100 people over 12 months.
Palm Beach Cancer Center Institute Foundation aka Sari Center for Integrative Cancer Care: Sari Breast Cancer Support Program
At Sari Center, we believe all those facing a breast cancer diagnosis should have access to supportive therapies that have been proven to help patients during and after treatment. However, due to the costs of medical treatment for breast cancer and its side-effects, many patients and families find themselves deep in debt and some have to file for bankruptcy. Others have to file for disability and learn to live with far fewer resources than they were accustomed to pre-cancer. And that was before COVID-19, from which we’ve seen many of the families we serve lose their household income. This grant will pay for a therapeutic and educational program for persons experiencing a breast cancer diagnosis and who are seeking information about complementary therapies and integrative support such as lymphatic support, nutrition, acupuncture and yoga. Our team is committed to serving anyone who needs our services regardless of ability to pay and has always employed a sliding-fee-scale based on household income and financial need. We have also been committed to providing assessment, navigation, education, and counseling at no cost to families, as well as donation- based group classes so that there are no financial barriers to these services.
Big Bend Rural Health Network and BBAHEC: We Are One
Breast cancer is the most common cancer to affect women, other than skin cancer, regardless of race and ethnicity within the United States (CDC, 2017). Out of 100,000 women, nearly 126 new cases will arise and 21 women will due from this disease per year. Black women make up the highest demographic to die per 100,000 from breast cancer (SEER, 2015). Our program, “We Are One,” aims to reduce this health disparity through educational workshops and interactive classes in Jefferson, Madison and Leon County. Big Bend Rural Health Network (BBRHN) proposes providing a one-year project to educate vulnerable populations about information related to breast health. Empowering participants to take preventative steps in reducing the effects of breast cancer, “We Are One” influences the behaviors that shape the view of breast cancer. Learning about proactive measures to use before diagnosis, identifying risk factors for breast cancer and understanding the importance of early detection, we hope to leave individuals with the necessary tools to deal with breast health and breast cancer. Through the power of education and interaction, a foundation can be created to stand upon in being proactive about breast health and breast cancer.
Community Life Support Inc.: Community Based Health Education
Community Life Support, over the past 5 years, have diagnosed breast cancers in many young women under the age of 35. These young people were extremely afraid, and partly because of a lack of education on the issue of breast cancer. Some could not really understand why at such a young age they were diagnosed with this disease. A lack of knowledge created an additional source of fear in so many of the women. Community Life Support want to make it a priority to educate at least 500 young women under age 35 residing in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach county for many different reasons, but primarily because it is clear that if they are knowledgeable, they will get to know their bodies, be aware of any changes when they occur and seek medical assistance sooner. It is a well-known fact that “early detection is the best protection.”
Florida Department of Health – FBCCEDP (Broward County): Hispanic/Latino Breast cancer Education
The goal of the project “Hispanic/Latino Breast Cancer Education” is to educate Hispanic/Latino women in Tricounty County (Broward, Palm Beach, Martin) on the importance of breast cancer screening and the breast health services available in the community. Participants who meet the Florida Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (FBCCEDP) eligibility criteria will receive breast and cervical cancer screenings, follow-up for abnormal results and referrals for treatment if they are diagnosed with breast cancer. Two education sessions will be hosted in collaboration with organizations that primarily serve the Hispanic/Latino population.
Glimmer of Hope Foundation, Inc: Show you Care, Be Aware
The goal of this project is to educate Caribbean and Hispanic women in our community in the importance of Breast Cancer early detection and screening. Participants of the program will receive referrals to services to one of our program partners, they will also receive follow up to needed services. Outreach and education will be conducted in the languages of the different target populations.
Sharsheret: The Jewish Breast and Ovarian Cancer Organization: Sharsheret Pink Shabbat Florida.
Through Sharsheret Pink Shabbat Florida, Sharsheret will provide Jewish communities all over Florida (i.e. Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Orange, Hillsborough, or Duval) with unique and highly customized experiences hosted by local synagogues and other Jewish organizations, either virtually or in-person. These Pink Shabbat programs will provide critical lifesaving information about the increased risk of breast cancer in the Jewish community, the measures people can take to protect their health before diagnosis, the importance of detecting cancer in the early stages when it is easier to treat or cure, the impact of breast cancer on the Jewish community, and Sharsheret’s national programs that provide support and resources for women and families at high-risk for or living with breast cancer.