Metro Health Hospital Increases Breast and Cervical Cancer Services

WYOMING, MI, January 06, 2011 (Press-News.org) Metro Health Hospital is expanding its breast and cervical cancer prevention program for under-insured and non-insured women due to a grant from the Metro Health Hospital Foundation.

Metro Health currently participates in the federally funded Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention program, providing breast and cervical cancer screenings and diagnostic services to under-insured and non-insured patients. The $5,000 grant will allow Metro Health to serve 50 additional patients in the community in 2011.

Last year, federal funding allowed Metro Health to screen 63 patients, but the need was far greater than the funding. With the additional grant funding Metro Health can provide services for nearly 100 patients.

"Breast and cervical cancer screenings are imperative for women," said Sylvia Huitsing, Metro Health radiology director. "Early detection is the leading factor that will increase a woman's survival rate against both of these cancers. We realized that Metro Health has the capacity to serve more women in our community, and this funding will allow us to meet a greater portion of those in need of these services."

Many women eliminate screening exams when it comes to trimming their health care costs, yet early detection is shown to increase a breast or cervical cancer patient's survival rate. Screening is the most cost effective and accurate method to identify both of these cancers, which target primarily women after 40 years of age.

This program is available to under-insured or non-insured women who are at risk of developing breast or cervical cancer, and who are 40-65 years old living in Kent County and surrounding areas.

About Metro Health Hospital Foundation
The Metro Health Hospital Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to improving the health and well being of the West Michigan community through philanthropy. The Foundation's support of Metro Health Hospital allows individuals, organizations and businesses to contribute funds that prevent catastrophic illnesses, provide life-saving education and screenings, improve overall patient care and fund a wide variety of programs and services. For more information, visit http://www.metrohealth.net/ways-give.

About Metro Health Hospital
Metro Health Hospital is a 208-bed general acute-care osteopathic teaching hospital that serves more than 130,000 patients in Kent and surrounding counties. Metro Health, which earned status as a Top 100 Hospital for the three consecutive years, offers a broad range of services, including inpatient and outpatient services, emergency, surgery, intensive care, rehabilitation, wellness and community education. Metro's work is supported by the Metro Health Hospital Foundation, which is a charitable organization dedicated to improving the health and well being of the West Michigan community through philanthropy. For more information, visit http://www.metrohealth.net.

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