MSU College of Nursing, Susan G. Komen Michigan team up to provide free breast cancer screenings

Low-income individuals in Livingston County are among those who can get free breast cancer screenings through a nearly $50,000 grant from Susan G. Komen® Michigan to the Michigan State University College of Nursing. Other counties included in the grant include Clinton, Eaton, Hillsdale, Ingham, Jackson, Shiawassee and Washtenaw counties.

At the MSU College of Nursing, the grant from Komen will support Pink Impact, an initiative dating back to 2016, which offers essential screening and free diagnostic breast care services to men and women who cannot afford live-saving services due to high deductibles or no insurance. The initiative is led by Dr. Mary Smania, an assistant professor at the college, with support provided by the MSU College of Human Medicine, and is available to anyone with income between 250 and 350 percent above the poverty level. Since 2016, the initiative has helped 86 patients.

While screenings are conducted in East Lansing, gas cards are available for those coming from further distances within the eight-county coverage area. To learn more, patients can call (517) 267-2460 or email CHM.Pink.Impact@msu.edu.

“This program has offered the opportunity to dozens of patients to receive life-saving care, who otherwise could not have afforded it,” Smania said. “We thank Komen for its continued support and hope to continue impacting the lives of those in our communities.”

Komen Michigan is one of more than 70 local affiliates of the world’s largest breast cancer organization, working in communities across the U.S. to meet the most critical needs. To help achieve Komen’s goal to reduce current breast cancer deaths by 50 percent in the U.S. by 2026, Komen Affiliates fund innovative breast health projects that provide vitally needed breast cancer screening, diagnostic and Breast Cancer Treatment Services and support, including patient navigation, education, medical supplies and financial assistance.

“All grant applications were reviewed by an independent panel comprised of 10 people representing nine counties in our service area. The committee was directed by a third-party moderator, and all applications were reviewed objectively, based on their merits,” said Sarah Hockin, mission director at Komen Michigan. “We are confident that through the MSU College of Nursing’s initiative, that it will have a lasting impact on the health of those in the mid-Michigan area.”

About MSU College of Nursing
The MSU College of Nursing, which dates back to the Department of Nursing Education in 1950, subscribes to the land-grant philosophy and the university’s tripartite mission including outreach that bridges the areas of teaching, research, and service. The college provides leadership for the education of nurses at the undergraduate and graduate levels who practice within an integrated, dynamic, and diverse health care system. For more information, visit nursing.msu.edu.

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The Livingston Post is the only locally owned, all-digital information and opinion site in Livingston County, Mich. It was launched by award-winning journalists who were laid off from the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus by Gannett Co. Inc. in 2009.