Research / Evaluation

Project:

Helping Her Live: Gaining Control of Breast Health

Introduction:

Black women are dying from breast cancer at a much higher rate than white women. In 2006, the Sinai Urban Health Institute released an epidemiological study exploring black-white disparities in breast cancer mortality. The study found that in 1980, black and white women in Chicago had the same rate of death, but during the last two decades, this drastically worsened for black women. More specifically, in 2005, black women in Chicago were twice as likely to die from breast cancer as white women, disparities which are far worse than those observed nationally and in other cities.

In response to these data, the Sinai Urban Health Institute and other concerned partners held a city-wide Summit to better understand and address this alarming disparity. On March 27, 2007, there was a Call to Action in which breast health experts, community leaders and health care providers examined three main hypotheses for this growing disparity: mammography access, mammography quality and treatment quality. As a result, they formed the Metropolitan Breast Cancer Task Force which put forth 37 key recommendations on how to fix this problem in a groundbreaking report, released in October 2007. To access this report and learn more about the Task Force and its many new initiatives and funding streams, visit: www.chicagobreastcancer.org

In addition to leading the establishment of the Task Force, Dr. Steve Whitman, Director of the Sinai Urban Health Institute, wrote to the Avon Foundation proposing to develop a public health model for improving access to breast cancer screening, follow-up and treatment for minority women in two Chicago communities. The Avon Foundation was convinced that something needed to be done and funded Mount Sinai for 3 years to design and implement such a program, leading to the inception of the Helping Her Live Program.

Project Plan:

Helping Her Live (HHL) is a culturally appropriate breast cancer education and outreach program targeting women in two Chicago communities.

It aims to Gain Control of Breast Cancer in Humboldt Park and North Lawndale by empowering women with information, helping women obtain routine breast cancer screenings and working with women to eliminate delays in obtaining test results and additional follow-up as needed. The HHL Program intends to be a community model to navigate breast health services and to measure its effectiveness in improving breast health outcomes such as an increase in routine mammograms and reduction in number of delays. Click here to view our Project Brochure.

Project Updates:

HHL was conceived and established during the planning phase (Jan-Aug 2008) and we are now in the implementation phase (Sept 2008-Aug 2010). HHL offers free services targeting women in Humboldt Park and North Lawndale. It is culturally sensitive and has been designed with community input. HHL also has an important evaluation component that measures key outcomes on how to reach women and ensure timely access to services, so that it can be replicated when this model is a success.

Free Services
* Workshops – HHL Community Health Educators are available to make 1 hour presentations and lead a discussion for anyone in the community interested in learning more about breast health. Workshops present information on breast health, how to get low cost or free mammogram in your area, what to do if you have an abnormal mammogram, how to resolve suspicious results, how to obtain necessary follow up treatment services and what to expect at every step to ensure optimal breast health for all women.

* Hotline – 1-877-HER-LIF2 / 1-877-437-5432 – The HHL Hotline is designed to help women navigate the healthcare system in their area and find services that are accessible to them. The Hotline serves as a tool for scheduling mammography appointments, assisting callers in receiving free or low-cost mammograms (if the caller is uninsured), assisting callers in understanding the results of their mammograms, serving as a reminder for their annual mammograms, and providing callers with answers to any questions or concerns they may have about breast health.

* Community Events - We also attend various community health fairs and events to get the word out about the HHL program and its services. By partnering with local city councilmen, community leaders/advocates, writing articles for local newsletters and participating in local fairs, we are spreading key health messages about getting a mammogram and sharing information on how to obtain preventative health screenings. If you know of an event and would like to involve HHL, please contact us.

Community Partners

HHL is a team of dedicated health educators and epidemiologists prepared to help women receive the breast health services they need and deserve. Our community partners include the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, Sinai Community Institute and the West Humboldt Park Development Council.

Publications:

	Chicago Metropolitan Breast Cancer Task Force. Improving Quality and Reducing Disparities in Breast Cancer Mortality in Metropolitan Chicago. October 2007.

	Whitman S, Shah AM, Silva A, Ansell D. Mammography screening in six diverse communities in Chicago-A population study. Cancer Detection and Prevention. 2007; 31:166-172.

	Hirschman J, Whitman S, Ansell D. The black:white disparity in breast cancer mortality: the example of Chicago. Cancer Causes & Control 2007;18:323-333.

	Hirschman J, Whitman S, Ansell D, Grabler P, Allgood K. Breast Cancer in Chicago: Eliminating Disparities and Improving Mammography Quality. Chicago, Illinois: Sinai Urban Health Institute, October 2006.