Thanks to Georgia residents who purchased Breast Cancer License Tags, the West Central Georgia Cancer Coalition (WCGCC) in Columbus was awarded $50,000 to continue its Breast Health Connection Program, Breast Health Link to 300 women in 11 area counties. Breast Health Link works with the faith-based community and local healthcare providers to connect uninsured women with breast cancer education and screenings who are ineligible for other breast cancer screening services.   

“Our coalition members and community stakeholders are committed to providing the necessary support for screening and patient navigation services,” said Cheryl Johnson, WCGCC’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Working together, we are able to provide a safety net for women and navigate them through the continuum of care within the WCGCC region.”

Twenty-two dollars ($22) of each Breast Cancer License Tag purchased or renewed funds the $400,000 in awards this year, administered by the Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education (Georgia CORE) on behalf of the State Office of Rural Health in the Department of Community Health.

“While Georgia has increased breast cancer screening rates, not all women – particularly those without health insurance – receive appropriate screening or treatment,” says Angie Patterson, Vice President of Georgia CORE and a 17-year breast cancer survivor.  “The work this grant supports will help identify breast cancer at an earlier stage, making treatment more effective.

“We hope that more Georgians will purchase the tags to provide even more resources for underserved women,” she added.

Covering Chattahoochee, Harris, Meriwether, Muscogee, Troup, Talbot, Taylor, Marion, Schley, Webster and Stewart Counties, WCGCC helps reduce the burden of cancer in the communities they serve through education and navigation.