Linda Creed Epstein Foundation

“Statement of program service accomplishments; part iii; line 4awe do not know what causes breast cancer and until we do, the best defense against breast cancer is early detection at an early stage and prompt treatment. We provide the first line of defense by giving women access to routine mammograms and diagnostic testing. Our mammography program provides screening services twice a year in the spring and fall and diagnostic tests throughout the year. Partner hospitals include aria-jefferson health system (3 locations), chestnut hill hospital, chester county hospital, jennersville regional hospital, lower bucks hospital, methodist hospital, paoli hospital, and riddle hospital. The linda creed mammography program is not a voucher program. Women are required to go through an education component, a clinical breast exam, and a screening mammogram. Our volunteer doctors agree to be the physician of record for women we serve who are not aligned with any particular physician, giving them the opportunity to develop a relationship with a medical professional as they move forward. Other volunteers who provide their expertise on screening day include hospital radiologists, gynecologists, breast surgeons, nurses, navigators, and technicians from our partner hospitals. Linda creed covers the costs for the mammograms and for diagnostic tests throughout the year for women who are symptomatic requiring immediate attention. We provide the mammograms & diagnostic tests at no cost to our clients. We recruit women through word-of-mouth, community health fairs, partnerships, and announcements through emails, our webpage and social media sites. There are a growing number of women who fall into the service delivery gap by being underinsured or uninsured. These women are at the highest risk of not seeking health care because of the financial burden it can bring. Our program provides these women, and their families, the opportunity to seek care without the additional worry of cost. Recently, we are seeing individuals who have insurance but cannot afford the cost of their deductible, or who are finding themselves recently uninsured. Each year our program diagnoses 3-5 women with breast cancer. Without the needed funding to provide access to mammograms through linda creed's programs, up to 5 women with breast cancer in the philadelphia area will not be diagnosed in the coming year.in fy 2017 we provided 181 screening mammograms and 175 diagnostic tests in greater philadelphia.”

“Statement of program service accomplishments; part iii; line 4bthe patient assistance fund provides financial support for women who are undergoing treatment. Based on need, this fund gives short-term assistance to women receiving breast cancer treatment. We can often pair this money with existing services and have helped many women and their families avoid utility or phone shut-offs, eviction and hunger. In fy 2017, we gave 36 grants totaling $69,576 (23% of our operating budget) helping these families meet critical financial needs.”

“Statement of program service accomplishments; part iii; line 4cour education focuses on providing breast health education to the general public who live and work in the philadelphia, pa region (this encompasses south jersey and northern delaware state). Breast health education continues to be vital as new generations enter the age where breast health becomes part of well care. Teaching the tenets of good breast health, general risk factors, and specific risk factors for african american women and the lbtq population is critical. We accomplish this through community fairs, workplace meetings, at places of worship, one-on-one on screening days and through our breast health information line. We provide focused education to african american communities through our safe circle program and the lgbtq communities through our rainbow circle. In fy2017, our outreach and education effort touched over 2,529 people. We are also a trusted resource for women seeking advice and referrals when confronting breast issues. We handle anywhere from 5-15 calls a day through our toll-free number from women looking for information about breast health, where to find services if undergoing breast cancer treatment, how to get access to routine mammograms or diagnostic tests, and general information prior to undergoing treatment. Most calls are within our service area however, we get calls from throughout the united states. Because we are a founding board member of the national breast cancer coalition, we can often refer women outside our service area through this network. In 2017, linda creed staff fielded 1,010 patient navigation calls.the women served by linda creed are primarily underinsured or uninsured. According to our data, 85% of the people who called the patient information line had no health insurance. Most women who call are in their 40s and 50s, although about 20% were below age 40. Our callers identify as caucasian (52%), african american (31%), latino (12%), asian/pacific islander (4%), and other (1%). Most women are single heads of their household with dependents.”

“The audit committee reviews and approves the 990 and the full board receives a copy.”

“A vendor list is presented and reviewed by the board annually and each member signs a form indicating whether or not she or he has any conflicts.”

“The organization participates in the lasalle nonprofit center's salary and benefit survey, and reviews the results when determining salary compensation.”

“Volunteer development 187. 135. 0. 52.”