NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 23, 2013
Contact: Lulu Francois, 215.825.8202, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Breast Cancer Education Toolkit for the Hispanic/Latino Community to be used nationally by many of Komen's Affiliates,grantees and partners such as the Mexican Embassy
PHILADELPHIA—Health Promotion Council of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Inc. (HPC), a Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) affiliate and a non-profit corporation that promotes health and prevents and manages chronic diseases among vulnerable populations, has been selected by Susan G. Komen® to develop a National Breast Cancer Education Toolkit (Toolkit) for the Hispanic/Latino Community.
With The American Cancer Society's 2011 research finding that Hispanic women are 20 percent more likely to die of breast cancer than Caucasian women, both Komen and HPC saw a need to bolster outreach and education about breast cancer to this community. The Toolkit will provide evidence-based information and health education strategies and tools to assist organizations with providing breast cancer education for Hispanic/Latina women.
The Toolkit will be launched in various Ventanillas de Salud (Windows of Health) in the Spring of 2014 as part of Komen's partnership with the Mexican Embassy. The Ventanilla de Salud is a program of the Government of Mexico developed by the Ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs and implemented through 50 Mexican consulates in the United States and local health organizations. HPC maintains a strong relationship with the Mexican consulate in Philadelphia, providing breast cancer education and other health promotion services in partnership with the Ventanilla de Salud for the past several years.
"The Ventanillas provide reliable information on health topics, counseling and referrals to health services available and accessible in local communities. Our continued relationship with Susan G. Komen would further strengthen our capabilities to educate Mexican and Hispanic women about breast cancer prevention," said Juan Carlos Lara, Head of the Consular Coordination and Hispanic Affairs of the Embassy. Following the initial launch, the Toolkit will be made available in electronic format through Komen's website to Komen Affiliates, partners and grantees.
"Awarding HPC this project was a perfect fit for us as they have collaborated with our organization and Affiliates for a number of years," said Susan Brown, Managing Director of Community Health at Susan G. Komen. "This toolkit will allow us to more effectively provide the Hispanic/Latino community with valuable breast cancer information and education."
The proposed approach for developing this Toolkit builds on two of HPC's core areas of expertise: community-based health education for medically underserved individuals, and organizational capacity building through toolkit development and dissemination.
"We are excited to partner with Susan G. Komen to move closer to our mutual goal to eliminate disparities in breast cancer and to improve breast cancer outcomes for all women," said Christina Miller, Senior Program Director at Health Promotion Council. "Our experience and existing relationships in the Hispanic/Latino community allow us to provide evidence based information, resources and training to improve breast cancer education in our programs and throughout Komen's Affiliate network."
###
About Health Promotion Council
Health Promotion Council (HPC), an affiliate of Public Health Management Corporation, is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1981. HPC's mission is to promote health, and prevent and manage chronic disease, especially among vulnerable populations, through community-based outreach, education and advocacy.
About Susan G. Komen®
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Suzy, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer. Today, Susan G. Komen® works to end breast cancer in the U.S. and throughout the world by investing more than $790 million in breast cancer research and $1.5 billion in community outreach programs over the past 30 years; providing funding to help low-income and uninsured women get screened and get treatment; advocating for cancer research and outreach programs; and working globally in more than 30 countries.
