Current Grant Recipients

These projects have been selected by our independent Grant Review Panel as those that will have the greatest impact in serving uninsured or underinsured women in our service area. Please note that Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is not a direct service provider.

List of 2011 Community Grant Recipients

Bay Clinic, Inc. - The program addresses breast cancer disparity on the island of Hawaii. An outreach care coordinator was hired to provide breast cancer education to help patients navigate through the health care system, access screenings, and follow up health care. The anticipated outcome should include: outreach to 3,000 individuals, provision of 2,000 clinical breast exams, and referral of 1,000 women for mammograms. Mammograms are provided to women who cannot afford them and target medically underserved women of Native Hawaiian, Asian, and other Pacific Islander ancestry.

Hamakua Health Center - The Hamakua Health Center's Breast Health Program provides breast and cervical screenings and follow-up diagnostics for uninsured women, and education and outreach in North Hawaii communities. Funding ensures screening mammogram and follow-up diagnostics for at least forty uninsured women under age fifty and supplement Hawaii Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program services. The mission of the program is to decrease deaths from breast cancer in North Hawaii; decrease disparities in screening and treatment for uninsured women; increase the number of women in the target population who receive regular screenings, early diagnosis and treatment; and promote awareness of breast health, early detection and treatment.

Hui Malama Ola Na 'Oiwi - The Pledge to Check project encompasses an island-wide effort to increase understanding of breast cancer among women, provides an avenue of breast health care opportunities in clinical breast exams and mammograms with a support system including clinical breast cancer education, personal rapport with clinical providers, and financial assistance for the needy and transportation services for accessibility. The project goal focuses on getting 50 women to complete clinical breast exams and mammograms. Clinical screening diagnosis will determine the number of women that need support and follow-up services which will be provided to 100% of the women that will accept help. The project will reach out to women ages 35 and older in rural areas with the methodology of a "one stop shop" clinic that can serve as a means for all uninsured women participants to get checked out, educated and immediately set up with a comprehensive plan to complete mammograms. The project will be evaluated by aggregated quantitative data, client surveys and/or testimonials and staff feedback.

Kalihi-Palama Health Center - Breast Sceening Program targets women between the ages of 50-64 for breast cancer screening. The grant expands the age range to include 40-49 year old women. Funds are used for outreach, screening, and educating fifty 40-49 year old women who are uninsured or underinsured.

Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services - Funding from Susan G. Komen for the Cure is used to increase awareness, prevention and early detection of breast cancer among women with the greatest breast health needs, specifically the low income Native Hawaiian, Filipina, Samoan, Micronesian and other Asian/Pacific Islander women of Kalihi Valley. Funds are used to continue and enhance KKV's culturally-appropriate, community-based breast health program that was established in 2006 with the support of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Activities will include outreach at community health fairs, culturally appropriate breast health education sessions in a variety of setting, training and support for peer educators who will lead educational presentations within their social support networks, and recruitment and enabling services to assist women to access cancer screening services. Success will be evaluated based on the number of women trained and maintained as peer educators, educated through outreach efforts, and recruited for mammograms, as well as a post questionnaire focusing on knowledge, access to screening, and satisfaction. This program is expected to foster better breast health for at least 909 women.

Ko'olauloa Community Health and Wellness Center - The KCHWC expansion program addresses the Affiliate's two priority areas: populations facing access issues and populations who are uninsured or under insured. Program goals are: 1) To educate and encourage all of KHCW's female clients who should be receiving breast exams and mammograms, especially Native Hawaiians, Pacific islanders and those 18-39 or 65 and older; and 2) To provide diagnostic procedures/tests for a limited number of uninsured women at KCHWC (who do not qualify for other programs) with abnormal breast findings. Measurable objectives for this program will include: 1) To conduct additional outreach to increase breast education and breast screening for 200 women. 2) To provide services such as diagnostic imaging and other tests and consultation for 10 uninsured women for their clinical breast exams/mammogram screening that have no other resources. 3) To provide transportation, when necessary, to access mammogram services. Evaluation will be conducted through data collected through our Komen database. Services will increase the accessibility for women uninsured/under insured for clinical breast exam/mammogram screening that do not qualify for other resources.

Molokai General Hospital - The Breast Cancer Enhancement Program seeks to improve the continuity of breast care on Molokai and decrease the time interval from diagnosis to treatment through addressing the island's health care disparity factors of geographic isolation, insufficient health care resources, economics, limited cancer knowledge and motivation. To address the disparities, the project supports breast cancer navigational services that provide patients culturally appropriate assistance throughout the continuum of care. Key activities include 1) increasing mammogram services by 240%, 2) improving continuity of health care for breast cancer patients, and 3) increasing breast cancer awareness and compliancy rates through the annual Women's Day Fair - an educational event open to the entire island that focuses on breast health, breast cancer, education, and women. It is projected that every woman on Molokai will have access to clinical breast exams, mammograms, and culturally and linguistically appropriate breast health education and information. It is also projected that all patients requiring diagnostic mammogram services and treatment will have access to appointments and funding for travel.

Na Pu`uwa on Molokai and Ke Ola Hou O Lana`i, it's satellite office - Offers preventive, education, and screening services to community members. Health screenings are available annually to all on both islands at no cost. The events provides screening and education on health topics, including cancer. Comprehensive cancer screening is available to both men and women. Ke Olo Hou O Lana`i seeks to expand existing services and provide Lana`i residents with expanded breast screening by increasing partnerships with local health care providers, specialists, and organizations from off-island, and facilitate travel as applicable, to Lana`i - thus creating breast health services without patients having to seek care elsewhere. Island residents will be provided breast cancer screening and breast health education. Following the event, assistance with travel for breast imaging will be accommodated, as applicable. Allowing certain services such as the clinical breast exam, family history evaluation, and follow up recommendations to be made on Lana`i will decrease the burden for many patients currently having to seek such services off island and increase the number of patients screened.

Pacific Cancer Foundation - Provides a patient navigation program for breast cancer patients and other cancer patients in Maui, a community with access issues, limited screening and treatment resources, and a high number of under insured and uninsured residents. The goal is to ensure that patients are supported physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially, and logistically as they navigate their journey with breast cancer. The services offered range from providing disease and treatment specific information to acting as a patient liaison to community provided resources such as transportation, financial aid, and support groups. Services also include advocating on behalf of the patients with doctors, other care and treatment staff, and family members as well as helping to manage patient appointment schedules. Evaluation methods include tracking and compilation of patient satisfaction survey results, care provider satisfaction survey results, and referrals to other community organizations. The impact of this program is to increase patient treatment and follow up compliance and subsequent quality of life measures.

The Queen's Medical Center (Acupuncture) - Treatment of breast cancer induces powerful side effects. Management of these symptoms can greatly increase patient drug intake, burdening the immune system and requiring careful monitoring to avoid negative interactions. The National Cancer Institute cites acupuncture as an alternative, but acupuncture is typing not covered by insurers in Hawaii. The therapy thus becomes available only to those who can afford it. This proposal is to offer acupuncture to uninsured breast cancer patients and survivors. The purpose of the program is to reduce the link between socioeconomic status and cancer survival rates. Reduced side effects from surgery, chemotherapy & radiation, and better wellbeing during and after treatment, contribute to better long-term outcomes. Key activities are : determine patient eligibility by ascertaining insurance and socioeconomic status and provide ten, no-cost, acupuncture sessions per patient, to 30 breast cancer patients. Comprehensive evaluations will be completed by each patient before and after each session. Data will be compiled at the end of the program.

The Queen's Medical Center (Genetics) - A common question among breast cancer survivors and their relatives is "What caused our breast cancer?". 5-10% of breast cancer has a hereditary basis, most commonly a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. Having a BRCA gene mutation means significantly increased cancer risks, including 87% risk of a first cancer and 64% risk of a second breast cancer. Genetic counseling is a vital service for providing assessment of a patient's family history of cancer, and whether any genetic testing is appropriate. When an underlying gene mutation is identified and a patient/family is higher risk, genetic counseling helps to devise a comprehensive screening and management plan, focusing on early detection or prevention of breast (and other) cancer. Cost is a genetic counseling services for many uninsured patients, as well as insured patients for whom the service is not covered. Komen Hawaii Foundation funding would be utilized to eliminate the cost barrier for genetic counseling for breast cancer patient, survivors and their relatives. Efforts continue to work towards improved insurance coverage and securing of other funding for this important patient population.

The Queen's Medical Center (NCI) - Helps individuals with breast cancer receive timely and appropriate support in their cancer care, and engage family to be active participants in their support system. Key activities include educating 20 cancer patient navigators about the proposed project; identifying and recruiting 100 eligible individual; utilizing tools of support-a $200 subsidy for treatment-related costs not covered by insurance; meal voucher not to exceed $50; resource card with tailored health materials to meet patients' cancer treatment-related needs; and project evaluation. Project evaluation will consist of an exit interview with each patient to evaluate process and outcomes objectives and patient satisfaction and a survey of partnering navigators to access their perspective on project implementation and patient prognosis. The project's impact would be at three levels-individual, institutional, and community-with patient access to resources, timely cancer care and survivorship, a leadership role for Queen's Medical Center in defining quality of cancer care, and future implications in cancer care at community hospitals and cancer centers locally and nationally.

Turning Point Cancer Center - The project focuses on supporting breast cancer patients in developing a whole person approach to their cancer healing journey. It will film interviews with breast cancer patients and survivors in Hawaii who have chosen a complementary approach to cancer treatment one that includes conventional treatment as well as complementary treatments such as tai chi, acupuncture, diet, emotional therapy, etc. The firm will also include interviews with leading, respected complementary treatment professionals in Hawaii such as Dr. Laurie Steelsmith, ND, and Dr. Joni Kroll, DAc. The filmed interviews will be put on a website managed by the Turning Point Cancer Center. Because this project will involve creating a website, it will be available to neighbor island populations, rural areas, uninsured and/or underinsured populations as well as ethnic groups. Women to be interviewed will represent a variety of ethnic groups.

Waikiki Health Center - The goal of Waikiki Health Center's grant, "Breast Health Services to Medically Uninsured and Under Insured Women," is to increase access to clinical breast cancer screening and self-exam instruction for women most at risk of late diagnosis and treatment. Uninsured and Under insured female patients that are homeless are targeted as well as Native Hawaiians, Flipinas, and other ethnic and racial groups that are disproportionally affected by breast cancer. In addition, female patients age 14+ will receive clinical breast health services at least once in every 12-month period. If abnormalities are detected, patients are referred for mammography and diagnosis, including women who couldn't access services without assistance. In 2009, Waikiki Health Center served more than 2,600 female patients; over 1,300 from racial and ethnic minorities, and 700 homeless. Electronic Medical Records will be used to track and evaluate the number, demographics and health outcomes of patients served. It is projected that this program of clinical services and referrals will help reduce mortality rates among women in greatest need of services.

Waimanalo Health Center - Malama I Ke Ola O Na Wahine provides breast cancer screening to under insured and uninsured women ages 18-49 years of age. This represents a lowering of the age and eligibility for women seeking services under the State funded Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program. In addition. under this program, the Waimanalo Health Center provides breast cancer awareness presentations and much needed enabling services and support to women who otherwise wouldn't be able to receive care. Included in the awareness programs is the 2nd Annual Women's Health Fair, a partnership with community agencies, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

2011 Survivorship Conference - The Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition's Action Team - Quality of Life in partnership with cancer stakeholder organizations statewide are collaborating on a Cancer Survivorship Conference to be held on Saturday, June 11, 2011 from 8:30 am - 3:30 pm for 250 participants at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The purpose of this statewide conference is to provide an educational opportunity on the current and long term issues that cancer survivors face. The objectives of the conference will be: 1) To raise awareness of breast cancer and increase the capacity of effective breast health programs during and after cancer treatment. 2) For Survivors: Educate on life after cancer treatment (NCI's definition: In cancer, survivorship covers the physical, psychosocial, and economic issues of cancer, from diagnosis until the end of life. It focuses on the health and life of a person with cancer beyond the diagnosis and treatment phases. Survivorship includes issues related to the ability to get health care and follow-up treatment, late effects of treatment, second cancers and quality of life. 3) For Healthcare professionals: Increase awareness of issues faced by cancer survivors.