Breast and Cervical Cancer Project

Emily Gay, Summer 2010

While working with the Breast and Cervical Cancer Project (BCCP), I learned a tremendous amount about health care availability for the underserved population and about important women's health issues in general. I was unaware that the BCCP, a statewide program that offers free pap tests and mammograms to eligible women, provided necessary and pivotal testing to some of the most marginalized members of our society prior to my experience this summer. It is truly an honor to have had the opportunity to assist, even in such a small way, in the advancement of the BCCP cause. I hope and believe that I helped a number of underserved women this summer, but I undoubtedly took away far more than I could have ever given. I believe that is the purpose of the Urban Health Project and the beauty of its mission.

My initial task was to simply become educated about the program and the services it provides. This training entailed everything from learning up-to-date statistics and risk factors to reading numerous research articles about signs/symptoms, detection and treatment options for both breast and cervical cancer. It proved to be a tremendous opportunity to further my knowledge and gain valuable insight on women's health issues, as well as solidify my desire to work with women.

One of my primary roles as an intern was to update our contact list of over 60 local non-profit organizations, women's centers and other organizations that could benefit from utilizing BCCP services. As I contacted each of these sites, I inquired if they were familiar with the program, and if they would like flyers/brochures about the program and women's health, and/or if they would like me to come out and give an educational program about breast and cervical health. Making contact with a representative at the various organizations proved difficult due to changes of phone numbers and addresses. However, I managed to provide over 20 organizations with educational flyers/brochures about the program. It was important to inform these different organizations of the BCCP mission, ensuring they are able to tell eligible women about the availability of these free tests. Screening and early detection are undoubtedly important in the fight against cancer, and many underserved women simply do not know the resources currently available to them.

In addition to contacting these organizations and offering basic flyers/brochures, I also offered educational programs about women's health. To assist my efforts in creating an engaging and interesting program, I created a PowerPoint presentation that I hope will continue to be used by other BCCP interns for years to come. Throughout the summer I gave 6 presentations at different locations in the Cincinnati area. Providing these programs was by far my favorite aspect of my UHP summer internship. I was able to share my knowledge with women and address the many great questions these women posed about their health. I hope the insight and knowledge I shared with them will help them make healthier choices throughout the rest of their lives.

My time with the BCCP also provided me the opportunity to shadow physicians and nurses in many different areas of women's health, particularly with the Jewish Hospital Mammogram Van, the Center for Women's Health, the Dysplasia Clinic, and the Breast Imaging Center at the Barrett Cancer Center. I found these opportunities extremely beneficial to my understanding of the many types of screening and treatment procedures for women, and they provided hands-on experience with interesting medical issues I have learned about.

The Breast and Cervical Cancer Project is just one of the many healthcare programs/organizations that help serve the underserved population. While working with the Urban Health Project, I have become more aware of the resources available in Cincinnati. I am forever indebted for receiving this fantastic opportunity. I plan to "pay it forward" by encouraging others to participate in the program and by continuing to serve the underserved population throughout my medical career.