AVON Breast Health Outreach Program Awards Grant for Breast Cancer Awareness Program to Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc.
January 31, 2012
The Avon Breast Health Outreach Program has awarded a $50,000 one-year grant to Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc. to increase awareness of the life-saving benefits of early detection of breast cancer. It is the sixth year that the program has received funding from the Avon Foundation for Women to support its work on this important health issue, and in recognition of the program’s excellence.
The breast health program Asian and Pacific Islander Breast Awareness, Screening, and Education (API-BASE) Program at Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc. will educate Los Angeles-area women and refer them to low-cost or free mammograms and clinical breast exams in their own communities. The vital program will also educate women of all races and ethnicities, seeking care, regarding the importance of early detection of breast cancer. API-BASE Program will have an emphasis on Thai and Filipino women, referring them to free or low-cost mammograms and clinical breast exams. These two female Asian groups show statistically higher risks and low utilization of breast care services. Studies have shown that cultural and linguistic barriers, such as limited English and a lack of awareness about mammography and the U.S. health care system, may contribute to the lack of preventive screening for breast cancer among these two groups of Asian women.
Over the last year, the API-BASE Program at Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc. has reached over 1,950 women with information about the importance of early detection of breast cancer and has referred almost 1000 women for mammograms and clinical breast exams.
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in the United States, and the leading single cause of death overall in women between the ages of 40 and 55. According to the American Cancer Society, 25,040 new cases of breast cancer will be detected in California this year and 4,110 lives will be lost. Nationwide, there is a new diagnosis every three minutes and a death from breast cancer every 14 minutes. While advances have been made in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure, early detection still affords the best opportunity for successful treatment. Programs such as API-BASE Program help ensure that all women have access to early detection information and options, even poor and medically underserved women.
“We are proud that the Avon Foundation for Women shares our mission and has chosen to support our program. With these funds we will be able to continue our work within the community and raise awareness regarding the importance of regular breast exams for women.” says Ms. Kazue Shibata, Chief Executive Officer of Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc.
Since 1993, the Avon Foundation has awarded more than 1,550 grants to community-based breast health programs across the United States, including the API-BASE Program at Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc. These programs are dedicated to educating underserved women about breast cancer and linking them to early detection screening services.
The Avon Foundation for Women and Breast Cancer Crusade
The Avon Foundation for Women, an accredited 501(c)(3) public charity, was founded in 1955 to improve the lives of women and today is the world’s largest corporate-affiliated philanthropy focused on issues that matter most to women. The Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, which observes its 20th anniversary in 2012, has placed Avon at the forefront of the fight against breast cancer; today, Avon is the leading corporate supporter of the cause globally. In the 20 years since the Crusade’s launch, Avon breast cancer programs in 58 countries have donated more than $740 million for research and advancing access to care, regardless of a person’s ability to pay. Avon raises funds for the Crusade through the sale of Avon “Pink Ribbon” products, and through events and walks, such as the U.S. Avon Walk for Breast Cancer series, which is the Foundation’s largest fund-raising source.
The Avon Breast Health Outreach Program
The Avon Breast Health Outreach Program is administered by Cicatelli Associates Inc. to support community-based, non-profit breast health programs across the country. The Fund's National Advisory Board selected the API-BASE Program at Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc. as one of 120 new grant recipients nationwide in the 2012 cycle of Avon Breast Health Outreach Program grants. These organizations were chosen based on their ability to effectively reach women, particularly minority, low-income, and older women, who are often medically underserved.
For more Information
For more information on the API-BASE Program at Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc., please call Aika Makimura, Program Coordinator at (323) 644-3880 ext.224. For more information about breast cancer, contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 or www.cancer.org, or the National Cancer Institute at 1-800-4-CANCER or www.cancer.gov.
To learn more about the Avon Foundation for Women, call 1-866-505-AVON or visit www.avonfoundation.org, where you can access free printable Breast Health Resource Guides in English and Spanish. For information or to register or support the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer events, visit www.avonwalk.org or call 1-888-540-WALK.
Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc. (www.aphcv.org) is a nonprofit federally-qualified health center that provides culturally competent health education and primary care services to over 12,000 patients annually, more than 72% of whom are uninsured. APHCV provides over 46,400 medical and mental health visits each year in multiple Asian languages, in addition to English and Spanish. APHCV operates three community health center sites: the Los Feliz Health Center, Belmont Health Services and John Marshall High School Health Center (for John Marshall High School students). APHCV can be reached at (323) 644-3880. Medical appointments for the Los Feliz Health Center can be made by calling (323) 644-3888 and to the Belmont Health Services at (323) 644-3885.
