2018 Foundation Grant Recipients

 

Research Grant:

Program Title: Leveraging Cognitive Science to Identify Biomarkers of ‘Chemobrain’
Recipient: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Sensory Neuroscience, Attention, & Perception Laboratory, Milwaukee, WI
Grant Focus: Cognitive dysfunction following chemotherapy is very common but, to date, has been poorly characterized due to the nonspecific nature of the neuropsychological tools used to measure it in the clinic. As many as 50% of treated breast cancer patients report problems with attention and other cognitive abilities, referred to as “chemobrain.” The objective of this research project is to improve the description of chemobrain symptoms by adapting sensitive tests of human behavior from cognitive psychology. Outcomes are expected to have a significant impact by (a) establishing the first quantitative metric by which chemobrain can be diagnosed, and (b) providing behavioral and neurological biomarkers by which patients can be warned of their vulnerability to chemobrain symptoms in advance of chemotherapy (possibly leading to auxiliary cognitive rehabilitation therapies that can guard against chemobrain symptoms).

 

Community Outreach Grant:

Program Title: Mammography Outreach in Motion: Improving Care to Rural American Indian Women
Recipient: St. Vincent Healthcare, Billings, MT
Grant Focus: Cultural, economic and familial hardships, poverty, substance abuse, and life circumstances interfere with the ability of American Indian populations in Montana to seek breast cancer screenings and follow-up care even when diagnosed. Also, missed appointments continue to be a problem, partly due to the challenges of living in remote rural areas and lack of transportation. The program includes having a Healthcare Disparities Coordinator and Mobile Mammography Unit provide health education, screening, and outreach to 2,900 women, including American Indian women on two nearby reservations.

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Education Grants:

Program Title: Prevention and Early Detection of Breast Cancer Among Hispanic Women

Recipient: El Puente – Hispanic Ministry, Jefferson City, MO 
Grant Focus: Many families are underinsured or uninsured. This fact, along with language and cultural challenges, often results in Hispanic women in counties in central Missouri not receiving the breast health information and care they need. The goal of this program is to address some of the gaps in the prevention and early detection of breast cancer among Hispanic women. Last year, El Puente – Hispanic Ministry provided medical interpretation, assistance with making medical appointments, transportation to appointments, health education, and guidance with finding resources for immigration, legal and insurance issues to 371 people in need.

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Program Title: JRMC Breast Health Patient Education
Recipient: Jewish Renaissance Medical Center, Perth Amboy, NJ
Grant Focus: The two urban communities of Perth Amboy and Newark are medically underserved areas (MUA), and they include significant cohorts of low-income women who remain un- or under-screened and are at great risk of breast cancer. The program will include breast self-exam training, breast cancer screening awareness education, and facilitating ways to overcome barriers to screening. This grant is projected to help provide these resources and support to 250-300 women in the coming year. 

Conference Grants:

Program Title: Raising Awareness of Breast Cancer in those Aging with Developmental Disabilities
Recipient: The Association on Aging with Developmental Disabilities (AADD)
Grant Focus: Barriers to screening, such as anxiety, lack of understanding of the test, limited access to transportation, and the need for extra staff to accompany some patients from group homes to health care appointments, often exist amongst individuals with developmental disabilities. The AADD will host education sessions May 21-22, 2018, in St. Charles, Missouri for medical professionals and aging individuals with developmental disabilities on the topic of breast cancer and aging with a developmental disability. These sessions will enable individuals served and families to make informed decisions about breast cancer-related issues, including accessing screenings, and to provide an opportunity to participate in designing a vision for all people with developmental disabilities who are aging. 

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Program Title: 2018 Project Pink’d Sexual Wellness Conference
Recipient: Project Pink’d
Grant Focus: Research shows 9 out of 10 struggle with social, physical or emotional distress as they transition from breast cancer treatment to survivorship care. In fact, 70% have a sexual dysfunction two years after diagnosis. The facilitated workshop will be focused on sexual wellness education specific to breast cancer survivors, empowerment of breast cancer survivors in medical and intimate partner contexts in regards to sexual wellness, building community among breast cancer survivors and healthcare professionals who serve them, and assessing female sexual function among attendees. Approximately 100 breast cancer survivors in Nebraska & Western Iowa will attend the workshop planned for October 14, 2018, in Omaha, NE.

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