Tea Fundraiser to Benefit Breast Health Care Fund

DERBY - Calling all tea lovers! The Women’s Health Initiative invites the community to its Annual Tea Fundraiser on Sun., April 22 from 2-4 p.m. at Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St., Derby.

 

The Tea is open to everyone - men and women, wives and husbands, mothers, daughters, and granddaughters. The event will feature a sophisticated assortment of teas and savory foods and participants are encouraged to wear their favorite hat for a parade where the person with the best hat will be awarded a prize. There will also be door prizes and raffles.

 

The cost is $30 per person. Proceeds will benefit the Valley Breast Health Care Fund, which aims to ensure that no person, regardless of age or socio-economic condition, is denied screening mammograms or diagnostic testing for breast cancer, or financial assistance with diagnosed breast cancer related services such as wigs, transportation and groceries.

 

Reserve your seat by contacting Nancy at 203-734-6945 or nvbv@hotmail.com or Dorothy at 203-233-7639 or dott.g@hotmail.com. Donations are also welcome.

 

The Women's Health Initiative is comprised of members of the community working toward a common goal of addressing and improving women's health issues. This year’s event is co-chaired by Patricia Tarasovic and Kate Cosgrove.

 

The Initiative also includes co-chair Dr. Stephanie Wain, Darlene Breving, Cary Carpino, Christine Cooper, Dolores Chew, Dorothy Gandy, Antoinetta Hallett, Lisa Kechijian, Peggy Marlowe, Frank Michaud, Lisa McEachern, and Nancy Valentine. Membership is open to all interested persons.

 

(This is a press release from Griffin Hospital)

 

Are You Dense?

Griffin in Derby receives $50K for breast health education

 DERBY - The Susan G. Komen Foundation has awarded Griffin Hospital $50,000 to increase breast health education in the Lower Naugatuck Valley and provide free mammograms.

The funds will help provide better understanding of the high breast cancer mortality rates for the Lower Naugatuck Valley and hopefully reverse the trend by providing low-income and uninsured women free breast cancer screening.
According to the 2011 Komen Connecticut Community Profile, the towns of Shelton and Naugatuck were identified as having breast cancer mortality rates higher than the state rate.

“We do not know why the mortality rates from breast cancer are higher in the towns of Shelton and Naugatuck. We are currently collecting important demographic and cultural information to help us better understand why women are not getting mammograms in a timely manner, which will help to save lives,” said Daun Barrett, RN, director of the Griffin Hospital Community Outreach and Parish Nurse Program.

The community profile indicates that diverse types of minority populations are at particular risk for foregoing recommended breast screenings.
The black and African-American population represents nearly 4 percent of the population in Naugatuck and 1 percent in Shelton.
Hispanics represent 5 percent of the population in Naugatuck and 4 percent in Shelton. There are also large Polish and Portuguese communities in Naugatuck and even a larger Polish population in Shelton. Barrett said the education efforts will target these communities to ensure it reaches women with the most need.

The Komen award will support the breast health education efforts of the Griffin Hospital Valley Parish Nurse Program.
Formed in 1990, The Griffin’s Valley Parish Nurse Program is one of the largest programs of its type in the area, providing free health screenings, links to healthcare, wellness and safety programs, and support services to community members throughout the Valley.
The grant will fund evaluations and questionnaires conducted by the Program’s Community Outreach Coordinators and Outreach Nurses to determine women’s understanding of breast care, a patient satisfaction survey, and tracking systems to record the number of women who received education and breast screenings, and demographic information on those served.
A minimum of 1,000 women will receive breast wellness education in an effort to increase access to screening mammograms at The Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness at Griffin Hospital.

The Komen award will also provide for uninsured and underinsured women, free mammograms and screening ultrasounds, which are used for women with dense breasts or abnormalities. Working with the Valley Breast Wellness Initiative, the Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness will provide at least 200 free mammograms to women of the Lower Naugatuck Valley through the Komen funding.

For more information and to see if you qualify for free mammograms, contact the Griffin Hospital Breast Wellness Outreach Coordinator, 203-732-7371.

About The Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness at Griffin Hospital

The Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness opened in 2011 and primarily serves the Lower Naugatuck Valley and surrounding communities. For information, call 203-732-1300 or visit griffinhealth.org/cbw.


This information is taken from a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Breast wellness center named Pink Ribbon Facility

DERBY -  The Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness at Griffin Hospital was recently named a Pink Ribbon Facility for having the latest screening and diagnostic technology available.

The Pink Ribbon Facility distinction is awarded only to an elite group of healthcare facilities. 

The designation is awarded by Hologic, Inc., a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostic products, medical imaging systems, and surgical products dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of women.

Pink Ribbon facilities are digital imaging centers recognized as providing excellence in breast health paired with their exceptional commitment and support to the women of their community. There are only four hospitals in the state with the distinction.

“This recognition shows that the Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness is committed to the fight against breast cancer,” said the Center’s Director Denise Barajas, M.D. 

“By offering the latest technology in mammography, we hope to increase the number of area women who will be routinely screened. The stage at which breast cancer is detected greatly influences a woman’s chance of survival.”

The Hewitt Center features two state-of-the-art digital mammography suites that utilize revolutionary 3D technology (tomosynthesis), a breast ultrasound suite, and the most advanced system available to perform stereotactic biopsy.

The Hewitt Center’s Selenia® Dimensions® breast tomosynthesis system offers exceptionally sharp breast images, an advanced ergonomic design providing more patient comfort, and the ground-breaking tomosynthesis platform designed to deliver superior screening and diagnostic performance.

During a tomosynthesis exam, multiple, low-dose images of the breast are acquired at different angles. These images are then used to produce a series of one-millimeter thick slices that can be viewed as a 3D reconstruction of the breast.

Breast cancer screening with tomosynthesis when combined with a conventional 2D mammography has a higher cancer detection rate than conventional 2D mammography alone. Studies have shown that tomosynthesis technology gives radiologist increased confidence with a significant reduction in recall rates.

Located at 300 Seymour Ave., The Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness at Griffin Hospital combines state-of-the-art technology, a team of highly trained physicians and staff, and a Planetree healing environment to offer our patients a comprehensive range of personalized breast care and wellness services.

For information about the Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness, call 203-732-1300 or visit www.griffinhealth.org/cbw.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Griffin parish nurses to offer breast health info

DERBY - The Griffin Hospital Community Outreach and Parish Nurses program will host a breast health information table on from 1-5 p.m. Feb. 6 at Liberty Rehab & Patient Aid Center, 49 Pershing Drive.

Registered nurses will provide free handouts and answer questions about breast cancer screening guidelines, how to get a mammogram, and other health issues that affect women.

This information is from a press release from Griffin Hospital.