2021-2025 Support for Breast Cancer Screening
In 2021 Alison’s Allies project raised funds for breast cancer screening of Black/African American women in the greater Kansas City metro. The goal of the fundraising project was to identify gaps in screening across different parts of the metro area, identify barriers to screening, identify screening locations, and provide resources for underserved, predominantly Black/African American women. The impact of Alison's Allies and this initial project has expanded well beyond the initial funding project!
In 2021, Alison became a member of the Breast Cancer Health Equity Task Force (BCHETF), sponsored by the KU Cancer Center & the Masonic Cancer Alliance, and involving many metro partners [Swope Health, Early Detection Works from KDHE, American Cancer Society, Show Me Healthy Women & more]. The BCHETF has held screening events every year since the inaugural events in 2022. Learn more about the BCHETF and the screening events held!
The statistics for breast cancer screening and mortality for underserved, especially Black women are alarming! While incidence of breast cancer between white and Black women is similar, Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer and are 42% more likely to die from the disease.
Breast cancer is 99% curable
IF found early.
Early detection is a KEY!
Why a focus on Black/African American women?
We know that early detection of breast cancer saves lives! But, screening for breast cancer has plummeted since the start of COVID & those statistics are even more alarming for communities of underserved women!
Decreased screening means increased breast cancer.
Decreased screening means increased late stage breast cancer.
Decreased screening means higher breast cancer deaths.
The statistics for Black/African American women are alarming nationally and alarming in the KC metro area!
THE BREAST CANCER HEALTH EQUITY TASK FORCE (BCHETF):
Since 2021, the BCHETF, formed in 2020, has been facilitated by the Masonic Cancer Alliance (MCA), the outreach network of KKU Cancer Center. The group is co-led by a vast network of experts, including health care professionals, advocates, and community members rep-resenting faith-based, healthcare, and community-based organizations and programs such as Early Detection Works (EDW) in Kansas and Show Me Healthy Women (SMHW) in Missouri, the states’ breast and cervical cancer screening programs funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The group meets monthly via Zoom, focused on strategic initiatives and conducting screening events.
The BCHETF selected a research based program to use for the majority of their breast cancer screening events. The program, called Friend to Friend has produced promising results for breast cancer screening! HE PURPOSE of the program is to encourage women to get regular mammograms for the early detection of breast cancer when it is most curable. The original program was developed by the American Cancer Society-Minnesota Division and the Minnesota Department of Health. The program was then adapted by the Kansas City BCHETF.
A guide was created, volunteer table hosts trained, and event details handled. The 'party with a purpose' atmosphere was enhanced by swag bags, raffle tickets, & of course, food! The Diagnostic Imaging Center mobile mamography van is an important partner in the screening events! Plus resources for other mammography sites provided.
Alison's Allies Role: Alison participates in nearly all of the scheduled screening events, helping to prepare name tags, assisting with set-up and check-in, and of course, helping with the raffle give aways! Additionally, Alison is a member of the BCHETF and assists with the meeting agenda preparation. Funds from Alison's Allies is used to support the events, especially to pay for mammograms for women who do not have insurance and who do not qualify for state screening programs.
BREAST CANCER SCREENING EVENTS:
Since our inaugural event on April 23, 2022 at the Oak Ridge Baptist Church in KCKS, the KC BCHETF has continued to offer breast health and screening events. Check out the list of events and the YouTube videos put together after each event.
2022 EVENTS:
April 23, 2022: youtu.be/TI6YouisOKQ
Location: Oak Ridge Missionary Baptist Church, 9301 Parallel Pkwy, KCKS
Healthcare Professional: Dr. Sandra Stites
June 25, 2022 youtu.be/rkOST7I56SY
Location: Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 3810 E. 56th St., KCMO
Healthcare Professional: Dr. Shalaunda Kaye Gray
July 16, 2022 https://youtu.be/x-WII2Em5Ac
Location: Morning Star Baptist Church
Healthcare Professional: Dr. Shalaunda Gray
August 13, 2022 https://youtu.be/EL6LGpA7wRQ
Location: Salem Missionary Baptist Church, 1824 N. 11th St., KCKS
Healthcare Professional: Dr. Sandra Stites
2023 EVENTS:
April 22, 2023: https://youtu.be/iisUiDW3Zes
Location: Eisenhower Rec Center, 2901 N. 72nd St., KCKS
Healthcare Professional: Dr. Diane Mahoney
June 15, 2023 https://youtu.be/aCn90fzOUxI
Location: Marlborough Community Center, 8200 The Paseo; KCMO
Breast Cancer Screening & Wellness Fair
July 13, 2023 - https://youtu.be/1-oZMKPq9Y4
Location: Vibrant Health, 21 N 12th St, KCKS
Breast Cancer Screening & Wellness Fair
August 26, 2023 - https://youtu.be/C_4GeipByd8
Location: Bannister Road Baptist Church, 7503 East Bannister Rd, KCMO
Healthcare Professional Stephanie Y. Moss
Dec. 9, 2023 - https://youtu.be/dKt_8z9tBhc
Location: Cleaver Family YMCA, 7000 Troost Ave, KCMO
Breast Cancer Screening & Wellness Fair
BREAST CANCER SCREENING EVENTS:
2024 EVENTS:
April 20, 2024 – https://youtu.be/oZ9yG0hsNuU
Location: Sunlight Missionary Baptist Church, 4444 Woodland Ave., KCMO
Healthcare Professional: Dr. Malaika Woods
June 20, 2024 – https://youtu.be/4i9Moy-E9SY
Location: Vibrant Health, 340 Southwest Blvd., KCMO
Healthcare Professionals: Chavely Conde and Dr. Silvia Byer
July 18, 2024 - https://youtu.be/5SgCHZfeFOA
Location: Bannister Road Baptist Church, 7503 Bannister Rd., KCMO
Breast Cancer Screening & Wellness Fair
August 24, 2024 – https://youtu.be/4PP1kJf0Gnk
Location: Macedonia Baptist Church, 1700 Linwood Blvd., KCMO
Healthcare Professional: Dr. Sandra Stites
September 21, 2024 – https://youtu.be/exNWLPfaWpg
Location: Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center, 2100 E. 9th St., KCMO
Breast Cancer Screening & Wellness Fair
2025 EVENTS: The 2025 events have been confirmed! Based on the data, the KC BCHETF has decided that the Friend to Friend - Party with a Purpose events resulted in more breast cancer screening mammograms thus there will be no Breast Cancer Screening & Wellness Fairs in 2025.
April 19, 2025
Co-Host: National Congress of Black Women, Inc. Kansas City Chapter
Location: Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center, 2100 E. 9th St., KCMO
Healthcare Professional: Dr. Malaika Woods
June 28, 2025
Location: Sunlight Missionary Baptist Church
Healthcare Professional, Brandie Smith, RN, BSN
July 19, 2025
Location: Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church
Healthcare Professional: Dr. Diane Mahoney
August 23, 2025
Co-Host: iCAN Sir
Location: TBD
Healthcare Professional, Brandie Smith, RN, BSN
Sept. 20, 2025
Location: Secondary Missionary Baptist Church
Healthcare Professional, Brandie Smith, RN, BSN
Nov. 8, 2025
Location: Centro Cristiano Agua Viva, 201 N. 7th St., KCKS
Healthcare Professional: Dr. Annabel Mancillas
1st Official Friend to Friend in Spanish! Sponsored by Alison’s Allies
EXPANDING TO OFFER A SPANISH FRIEND TO FRIEND - PARTY WITH A PURPOSE EVENT: While the focus of the Breast Cancer Health Equity Task Force (BCHETF) has been on Black/African American women, the task force has also wanted to offer a Friend to Friend event for Spanish speaking individuals. In order to provide the event in Spanish, the Friend to Friend Health Professional and Table Host Manual needed to be translated into Spanish. Two individuals, Samanta Landa and Dr. Marta Silva, both colleagues of Alison in the Olathe School District not only agreed to translate the manual, but offered their services for free! We are so thankful to both of them for generously donating their expertise!
WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE BREAST CANCER SCREENING EVENTS?
Based on the data, it was determined that the Friend to Friend parties resulted in more breast cancer screenings.
A full data report is available.
This is a sample of the flier that is created for each of the Friend to Friend - Party with a Purpose events.
A 2nd flier is always created for each event to show that you do NOT have to attend the event to get a mammogram!
PUBLISHED ARTICLE: The work of the KC Breast Cancer Health Equity Task Force (BCHETF) was highlighted in an article in the Preventive Oncology & Epidemiology journal! www.tandfonline.com/journals/tpoe20 Alison was proud to be a part of the writing team! The article was published online on Oct. 11, 2024 - Alison's birthday 😊!
