Breast and Cervical Cancer Project

Jess Dreicer, Summer 2012

One of my main responsibilities working for the Breast and Cervical Cancer Project (BCCP) as a summer intern was facilitating outreach to other organizations in the community. I accomplished this by contacting over 65 businesses and non-profit organizations in the greater Cincinnati area. These calls ensure that community organizations remain aware of BCCP and the services it offers. Interested organizations receive pamphlets and flyers from BCCP that can easily be passed along to their clients, further disseminating the message about BCCP's resources.

My other main task as a Breast and Cervical Project (BCCP) intern was to conduct educational sessions about breast and cervical cancer to the women of the greater Cincinnati community. This summer, I gave seven presentations at a variety of locations including residences for people overcoming drug and alcohol addiction, soup kitchens, and an obstetric clinic. Depending on the location, I would present basic information about breast and cervical cancer using a power point presentation that I created or with brochures provided by BCCP. The presentations covered the topics of basic breast and cervical health, risk factors, signs and symptoms, and screening. I also taught the skill of self-breast exams using BCCP's breast models. I encouraged the women to ask questions and tried to maintain an open and honest discussion.

My work also enhanced my own education about breast and cervical cancer. I was able to familiarize myself with many of the important aspects of breast and cervical cancer by preparing for the educational presentations. Additionally, the educational sessions I ran improved my ability to disseminate health information to laypersons. This teaching experience will be an asset to me in future conversations with patients. I also had the opportunity to shadow in Jewish Hospital's Mammogram Van, the Center for Women's Health's Dysplasia Clinic, and the Imaging Center at the Barrett Cancer Center. These experiences expanded my awareness of what the disease processes of breast and cervical cancer are like for patients and aided me in conversing about these diseases.