1. SPRING 2015
The difference between
caring and curing is you.
UPCOMING
EVENTS:
Play for the Cure Golf Outing
Monday, June 15th, 2015
Westmoreland Country Club,
Wilmette, IL
Summer Cocktail Party
Thursday, July 9th, 2015
Rockit Bar & Grill
River North
Fall Benefit Luncheon
Thursday, October 15th, 2015
Hilton Chicago, Chicago, IL
Light the Way to Find a Cure
Month of October
Chicago Skyline
5K Run/Walk
Sunday, October 25th, 2015
Diversey Harbor, Chicago, IL
Check www.lynnsage.org or
facebook.com/LSCRF for
updates on these events
or call 312.926.7133
Since its inception, Lynn Sage Cancer Research Foundation (LSCRF)
has raised over $30 million to support innovative contributions to the
understanding, research and treatment of breast cancer. Our administrative
costs are less than 6%, so that there are more funds available for the
research and education projects that we support. With each dollar
donated, LSCRF’s fight to cure breast cancer continues. Each dollar
donated makes a difference in advancing the understanding and standard
of care of breast cancer. That difference is you.
LYNN SAGE CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION 30TH ANNIVERSARY

2. The Lynn Sage Cancer Research Foundation (LSCRF) is proud to continue serving as a philanthropic partner of
the Sinai Urban Health Institute’s Helping Her Live: Gaining Control of Breast Cancer (HHL) initiative. HHL
was created in late 2007 to combat the breast cancer mortality disparity in Chicago between Black and White
Women. Between 2005-2009, Chicago had the seventh worst breast cancer mortality disparity among the 50
largest cities in the United States. Black women were 48% more likely to die when diagnosed with breast cancer
than white women with the disease. HHL Community Health Educators (CHE) act as Navigators to help
women receive routine screening and obtain timely follow-up diagnostics and treatment if needed. HHL has
always taken a unique approach to reaching and educating its target audience by reaching women where they are
– in the community.
Originally based on the west side, HHL expanded to include the southwest side of Chicago through funding
from LSCRF. The expansion was started in late 2013 after a study indicated a dramatic need to reduce the gap
in breast cancer screening for minority women in the city of Chicago. Now entering its second year, HHL continues to make advancements in the education,
outreach, and navigation to screening mammograms, diagnostics, and treatment for those facing the disease. Under the discretion of Melissa Simon, MD, MPH,
an OB/GYN at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and assistant professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Preventive Medicine and Medical Social Sciences at
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the initiative seeks innovations in addressing this issue and providing a range of options for those who need
it the most. Ultimately, the initiative aims to reverse the disparity among the city’s low-income, medically underserved women of color and save lives.
While addressing the core components to breast health—routine mammography, timely resolution of abnormal mammograms and timely treatment—HHL’s
patient navigators have made remarkable progress in providing care by utilizing proactive innovations in their outreach model, conducting nearly 30 activities
aimed at identifying women at risk, providing outreach and educating women of color about receiving the proper care and treatment for breast cancer issues.
In 2014, outreach activities included four workshops and 11 health fairs, as well as informational table set ups and visits to food pantries. The targeted geographi-
cal area is the southwest side of Chicago (zip codes 60629 and 60632), serving Chicago Lawn, Brighton Park, West Lawn and Archer Heights, among other
neighborhoods. These outreach efforts resulted in HHL directly touching the lives of almost 1,000 women, with an additional 192 called in for services or referred
by a community partner. Approximately 399 women provided demographic information so that HHL could track progress among different ethnicities, ages and
socio-economic backgrounds. 86% were 40 years or older, 16% were African-American, 72% were Mexican and 6% identified themselves as Other Hispanic. An
alarming statistic uncovered during the reporting indicated that 75% of the women had either never had a mammogram or had not had one in the preceding two
years. In addition, only 29% reported having insurance.
Although the numbers seem to paint a bleak picture, HHL navigators found several bright spots in their work. During the year, there were 214 successful
mammograms completed on the Southwest side, with 41 of these women proactively seeking mammogram reminders for their next visit. The pioneering outreach
model, in addition to good old fashioned work ethic, helped HHL provide 70% of all the women to sign up for navigation and receive mammograms and related
services.
The focus on outreach and interpersonal connectivity is already making progress and turning lives around. One example illustrating the benefit of the HHL
initiative occurred during a breast health workshop at Sandoval School in the Gage Park community, where a woman from the community who needed a
diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound enrolled in the navigation program. Her daughter became a LSCRF-funded HHL navigator herself, helping women like
her mother in the community.
The progress made in 2014 gives the team renewed motivation to dive deeper into the work. HHL Program Manager Jacqueline Kanoon, MPH said, “Results over
the past year have given us tremendous hope about the future and providing valuable services to those in need.”
There are tremendous avenues for growth for HHL in the 2015 calendar year, including expansion into the 60636 zip code to include the predominantly
African-American community of West Englewood, while continuing to serve the Hispanic population of 60629 and 60632, where documentation issues may deny
women access to public insurance. As more individuals who do qualify for health insurance enroll under the Affordable Care Act, the newly insured population will
continue to need navigation and services, as many may not have an established medical home. Lack of insurance is not the only barrier to care—inadequate access
to transportation, childcare, and breast health education may still impact the newly insured’s access to mammograms.
Adds Jacqueline, “While we are making great strides in providing services, we still have a long way to go. Having a partner like LSCRF that truly understands and
is deeply committed to this work makes all the difference. We owe a great debt of thanks to the foundation.”
Bridging the Disparity Care Gap in the Health of Chicago’s Women
This graphic was inserted into
every Connie’s Pizza box during
the month of October to help
raise breast cancer awareness.