Avon Foundation awards Mercy Hospital $1 million grant
Mercy Hospital & Medical Center received a $1 million grant from the Avon Foundation at the June 3 closing ceremonies of the fifth annual Chicago Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Avon gives grants at the end of each of its walks to local institutions that support access to breast cancer screening, treatment, and research.
Mercy
Hospital will use the money to buy two digital mammography machines and to
improve patient navigation as part of a new program, Providing Solutions for
Breast Care Disparities in Chicago. Mercy aims to increase the number of
patients screened for breast cancer by 25% through outreach and follow
through using designated patient navigators who will work with women within
the county health system who are on a one- to two-year waiting list for
screening and follow–up.
“Mercy is committed to helping the women of Chicago detect breast cancer in its earliest stages and reducing the incidence of breast cancer in Chicago through education and outreach,” said Sr. Sheila Lyne, president of Mercy Hospital.
The Avon Foundation has supported women’s health for more than fifty years by raising and awarding more than $500 million. The foundation chose Mercy Hospital for a grant because of its dedication to women’s health and furthering the fight against breast cancer.
Mercy’s Comprehensive Breast & Women’s Health Care Center provides physical, emotional, and spiritual healthcare using a comprehensive team approach that specializes in detecting breast cancer in the earliest stages, when it is most treatable. Mercy extends this approach to women’s health with its Whole Woman, Whole Health program, which offers free massage, acupuncture, and yoga to patients who have completed breast cancer treatment. The hospital also helps breast cancer patients find relief from the many common side effects of cancer treatments including fatigue, body pain, scar tissue discomfort, hot flashes, weight-gain, depression, and anxiety.
For more information, call (312) 567-2064.
