An innovative partnership to address breast cancer screening among vulnerable populations.
BACKGROUND
Breast cancer is the most common non-skin malignancy among U.S. women. Vulnerable populations such as low-income women, racial/ethnic minorities, and the uninsured have lower rates of screening mammography use and bear a disproportionate burden of disease.


OBJECTIVE
The Breast Cancer Education Project (BCEP) was created to address the needs of medically underserved women in Cook County through high-quality breast cancer screening, education and support. The BCEP also provides a service-learning opportunity in which medical students can provide a valuable health service while obtaining important skills that enable them to work more effectively within medically underserved communities.


CONCLUSIONS
The BCEP is an innovative collaboration between academic medical centers, safety-net health systems, community-based organizations and public health organizations. It represents a model for addressing issues of disparate access to breast cancer screening within vulnerable communities that contribute to higher breast cancer mortality.
Peek
Monica E
ME
The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA. mpeek@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D054521:Cultural Competency / Q000193:education; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D009111:Local Government; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017146:Models, Organizational; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D015397:Program Evaluation; D014837:Voluntary Health Agencies; D035862:Vulnerable Populations