Breast and Cervical Cancer Project

Teresa Whitaker, Summer 2015

I worked at two sites this summer. One was the Welcome House of Northern Kentucky. The other was the Breast and Cervical Cancer Project (BCCP). The BCCP is the regional portion of a larger federal program called the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Project. It is funded through a grant from the CDC and is run through the Ohio Department of Health. The project aims to remove barriers to preventative healthcare and decrease the mortality and morbidity risk among underserved women. BCCP provides free screening and diagnostic procedures for uninsured Ohio women who have limited income and meet certain age requirements. BCCP also works to educate women in the community and their healthcare staff about breast and cervical health and the importance of screening procedures.

My job was to renew contacts with community organizations and provide education to community agency staff members and women in the community. I contacted over 60 agencies in the Greater Cincinnati area and worked with them to provide whatever resources they needed, from brochures and flyers about our program to educational workshops on breast and cervical health. Sites included homeless shelters, soup kitchens, senior living communities, public health departments, and clinical sites. I also had the opportunity to shadow in the dysplasia and mammography clinics to see the clinical side of the work the project was involved in.