Breast, cervical health screenings

BANGOR – Each year in Maine, approximately 1,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and 100 with cervical cancer. If all women 50 and older obtained regular screenings for breast cancer – mammograms and clinical breast exams – up to 30 percent of breast cancer deaths could be prevented.

Virtually all cervical cancer deaths could be prevented through regular Pap test screenings. Sadly, financial constraints keep many women from getting the annual health care and screenings they need. There is a program available to help: the Maine Breast and Cervical Health Program, which provides women throughout Maine with no-cost health care.

Women between the ages of 40 and 64 who have little or no insurance and who meet certain income guidelines are eligible for the program, which provides mammograms, Pap tests, pelvic exams, clinical breast exams and limited diagnostic or follow-up services for hundreds of women each year.

St. Joseph Healthcare’s Regional Breast Care Center, Eastern Maine Medical Center, Eastern Maine Family Practice Center, Mabel Wadsworth Women’s Health Center, Penobscot Community Health Center, Penquis Health Services and the Penobscot Nation Health Department are participating providers and mammography facilities in the Bangor area. Women who sign up for the program may choose their own provider and mammogram facility from more than 300 sites in Maine.

Community partnerships also play an important role in the program, providing public education, peer education programs, transportation, outreach and other support services. The Penquis Breast and Cervical Health Coalition, the partnership that covers Penobscot and Piscataquis counties, is composed of more than 20 members, including providers, health educators, radiologists, business owners and community members who feel strongly about helping Maine women learn about breast and cervical health, and resources available to them.

Several times throughout the year, the Maine Breast and Cervical Health Program funds a no-cost women’s health screening day, when eligible women may sign up for the program and have a mammogram, Pap test, clinical breast and pelvic exam all in one day. The next scheduled screening day for the Bangor area is Tuesday, Oct. 17.

A limited number of appointments are available. Women are encouraged to call early to sign up, as pre-registration is required. If a woman is unable to sign up for the screening day, she may still enroll at any time for the Maine Breast and Cervical Health Program and schedule her exam and mammogram at her convenience.

Women interested in participating in the program are encouraged to call the Maine Breast and Cervical Health Program at (800) 350-5180 to speak with staff who will answer questions and assist them in the enrollment process. Community members interested in participating in the Penquis Breast and Cervical Health Coalition should call Jessica Carter, program coordinator, at 973-3615.

Wellness rodeo

BANGOR – Eastern Maine Medical Center held its annual employee wellness event, a rodeo, on Sept. 20. EMMC employees enjoyed horse-drawn carriage rides, live ragtime piano music, a magician and games. This year’s event featured a healthful baking contest, crafts and a hat and bonnet contest judged by president, CEO and nurse Deborah Carey Johnson.

The rodeo is one event featured as part of a comprehensive employee wellness program. EMMC has received a Bronze Well Workplace Award from the Wellness Councils of America.

The Bangor area also has received national recognition from WELCOA, being declared the first “Well Region” in the country.

While EMMC has long been viewed as the provider of health-related services to the Bangor community, it also strives to promote wellness among employees. Wellness is more than an occasional stroll or being smoke-free, officials said, it is a way of life. Events such as the rodeo help to empower participants to change lifestyle behavior and become healthier.

Long-term care award

ORONO – Three area women who provide care to the elderly and the disabled living in nursing homes, assisted living facilities or in their own homes received achievement awards during the fourth annual Excellence in Long-term Care Conference held Sept. 20 at the Penobscot Valley Country Club. An independent panel of judges selected the winners for outstanding caregiving. They are: Christine Chabe, medical assistant, who works at The Meadows in Old Town; Wendy Cornell, residential support worker, who works at Community Health and Counseling Services in Bangor; and Cheryle Nelson, nurse’s aide, who works at Stillwater Health Care in Bangor.

Barbara Cody of Greenville, Beverly Drew of Dexter, Sarah Perry Hulbert of Cherryfield and Tony Wood of Machias also received caregiver awards.