GLAXOSMITHKLINE DONATES $135,000 TO SUPPORT PHILADELPHIA’S BREAST HEALTH

Donation Continues Partnership Started in 2009rnrnPhiladelphia, January 15, 2010 – The Fund for Philadelphia has been awarded a $135,000 grant from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Ambulatory Health Service’s (AHS) Breast Health Outreach and Counseling Program. This program provides uninsured/underinsured women at AHS health centers one-on-one and group counseling sessions on breast health screening, including mammograms, referrals and additional treatment as needed. GSK funded the innovative pilot program in 2009 and will continue to support this initiative in 2010.rnrn“I am pleased about this important partnership between the City of Philadelphia and GlaxoSmithKline, which will protect women from the risk of breast cancer,” said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “It is vital that all women be able to access quality medical services. When the private and public sectors work together, we can make sure that at-risk populations receive better and more frequent care.”rnrn“The funding GlaxoSmithKline provides in 2010 allows Ambulatory Health Services to continue a project that proved so successful last year,” said Dr. Thomas P. Storey, Director of Ambulatory Health Services of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.rnrnThe project was effective in communicating with uninsured/underinsured women to advise them they needed a screening mammogram; understanding the patients’ breast health issues and barriers to care; providing patients with information on appropriate breast health care practices; and encouraging women to complete a screening mammogram. With GSK’s support, the City can continue to implement this strategy to maximize our patients compliance in obtaining a timely mammogram and other diagnostic tests needed to protect their health.rnrn“We understand that breast health is an important component of a woman’s overall wellness,” said Mary Linda Andrews, Director for GSK’s Community Partnerships program. “We support the Breast Health Outreach and Counseling Program to provide access to health resources for women including those who may be economically disadvantaged.”