Governor Cuomo Announces $37.7 Million Awarded to Improve Access to Breast Cancer Screening Across New York State

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced $37.7 million in funding as part of the "Get Screened, No Excuses" initiative to improve access to breast cancer screening for New Yorkers. Funds are being used to support peer educators in community settings, make patient navigators available to help women as they undergo screening and other necessary follow-up care, and operate mobile mammography vans in underserved neighborhoods to bring health services to New Yorkers.

"This administration continues the most aggressive action in the nation to break down any barriers to breast cancer screening because early detection is the best possible treatment," Governor Cuomo said. "By providing information on the importance of mammograms and expanding access to cutting-edge screening options, these programs will address the needs of thousands of New Yorkers and help establish healthier, stronger communities in every corner of this great state."

"Building off of New York State's successful Get Screened, No Excuses campaign to promote breast cancer screenings statewide, we are continuing to double down on our efforts and invest in healthcare and education programs that increasingly expand access to these potentially life-saving services," Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul said. "We know mammograms and cancer screenings must be available for all New Yorkers. That's how we'll continue to save lives."

Launched in October 2016, 10 peer education programs work within community settings to educate women about the importance of regular breast cancer screening, offer referrals to screening, and provide information to men about prostate cancer. Thirty-three patient navigation programs, which also launched in 2016 and are located within many of New York's nationally accredited breast centers, help women navigate the healthcare system to complete screening and provide any needed follow-up. Funding is also supporting the purchase of six new mobile mammography vans that will begin offering breast cancer screenings in 2018 to make it easier for women to get to these services. The funding will enable contractors to form community partnerships across several counties to promote and conduct local breast cancer screening events.

These statewide programs are successfully reducing barriers to breast cancer screening for women, including those who lack access to preventive health care because they are economically disadvantaged, live in underserved inner-cities, or live in remote rural areas.

The awardees for each initiative are included below by region:

Region	Awardee	Program
New York City	Columbia University Medical Center Clinical Breast Cancer Program	Screening Patient Navigator
New York City	New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation - Lincoln Medical & Mental Health Center	Screening Patient Navigator
New York City	Maimonides Medical Center	Screening Patient Navigator
New York City	Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care, The Breast Cancer Program	Screening Patient Navigator
New York City	The Mount Sinai Hospital	Mobile Mammography
New York City	New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation - Jacobi Medical Center of the North Bronx Healthcare Network	Screening Patient Navigator
New York City	New York-Presbyterian/Queens	Screening Patient Navigator
New York City	Weill Cornell Breast Center	Screening Patient Navigator
Long Island	Brookhaven Memoral Hospital Medical Center Breast Cancer Center	Screening Patient Navigator
Long Island	Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center Breast Health Center	Screening Patient Navigator
Long Island	Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center Breast Health Center	Screening Patient Navigator
Long Island	Huntington Hospital Breast Care Center	Screening Patient Navigator
Long Island	John T. Mather Memorial Hospital Fortunato Breast Health Center	Screening Patient Navigator
Long Island	Nassau Health Care Corporation	Community Peer Education
Long Island	Northwell Health Breast Cancer Center at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and North Shore University Hospital	Screening Patient Navigator
Long Island	Peconic Bay Medical Center	Community Peer Education
Long Island	South Nassau Communities Hospital Breast Care Center	Screening Patient Navigator
Long Island	Stony Brook University Hospital	Mobile Mammography
Long Island	Winthrop University Hospital Breast Health Center	Screening Patient Navigator
Mid-Hudson	Catskill Regional Medical Center	Community Peer Education
Mid-Hudson	Good Samaritan Hospital of Suffern, The Center for Breast Health	Screening Patient Navigator
Mid-Hudson	New York-Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital, The Ashikari Breast Center	Screening Patient Navigator
Mid-Hudson	New York-Presbyterian/Lawrence Hospital, The Carol H. Taylor Breast Health Center	Screening Patient Navigator
Mid-Hudson	Northern Westchester Hospital, The Breast Institute	Screening Patient Navigator
Mid-Hudson	Nyack Hospital, The Breast Center	Screening Patient Navigator
Mid-Hudson	Orange Regional Medical Center Ray W. Moody MD Breast Center	Screening Patient Navigator
Mid-Hudson	Putnam Hospital Center	Screening Patient Navigator
Mid-Hudson	St. John's Riverside Hospital, The Ashikari Breast Center	Screening Patient Navigator
Mid-Hudson	Vassar Brothers Medical Center, The Breast Center at the Dyson Center for Cancer Care	Screening Patient Navigator
Mid-Hudson	Westchester Medical Center Comprehensive Breast Center	Screening Patient Navigator
Mid-Hudson	White Plains Hospital, The Breast Program	Screening Patient Navigator
Capital Region	Northeast Health - Samaritan Hospital Women's Health Services	Screening Patient Navigator
Capital Region	St. Peter's Health Partners	Community Peer Education
North Country	Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital	Community Peer Education
North Country	Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, The Breast Health Center at the Connection for Women	Screening Patient Navigator
Mohawk Valley	St. Mary's Healthcare at Amsterdam	Community Peer Education
Central New York	Breast Care Partners, LLC	Screening Patient Navigator
Central New York	State University of New York Health Science Center at Syracuse	Mobile Mammography
Central New York	SUNY Upstate Medical University Breast Care Program	Screening Patient Navigator
Southern Tier	Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital, Inc.	Mobile Mammography
Southern Tier	Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital, Lourdes Breast Care Center	Screening Patient Navigator
Southern Tier	St. James Mercy Hospital	Community Peer Education
Southern Tier	United Health Services Hospital Breast Center	Screening Patient Navigator
Western New York	Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center	Community Peer Education
Western New York	Rochester General Hospital	Mobile Mammography
Western New York	Roswell Park Cancer Institute	Screening Patient Navigator
Western New York	United Memorial Medical Center	Community Peer Education
Western New York	University of Rochester Medical Center, Comprehensive Breast Care at Pluta, the JP Wilmot Cancer Institute	Screening Patient Navigator
Western New York	Windsong Breast Care	Screening Patient Navigator
Western New York	Windsong Radiology Group, PC	Mobile Mammography

"Early detection is a key to better health outcomes and saving lives," said Commissioner of Health Dr. Howard Zucker. "Governor Cuomo's package of breast cancer programs will have a tremendous impact on the lives of tens of thousands of New York women and their families."

"Increased access to breast cancer screening will save lives," said Kemp Hannon, Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Health. "This funding to expand programs throughout the state will reduce barriers and help countless women."

"Women should not face financial barriers to breast cancer screening," said Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard N. Gottfried. "This critical funding will help ensure access to screening in community settings and support for follow-up care."

Today's announcement builds on the successful "Get Screened, No Excuses" initiatives currently in place and available to all New Yorkers regardless of insurance status. These efforts include legislation requiring hospitals and hospital extension clinics to offer extended hours for mammography screening; legislation that prohibits insurers subject to New York State law from requiring cost-sharing for screening mammograms and diagnostic testing; expanded paid leave for public employees to receive breast cancer screening; and a public awareness campaign to encourage screening.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among women in New York State. Each year, over 15,000 women in New York State are newly diagnosed with breast cancer, and approximately 2,500 die from the disease. Screening for breast cancer can increase the likelihood of identifying cancer at an early stage when treatment is most successful.