Gov. Blagojevich visits Taste of Polonia to encourage women to sign up for the state's free breast and cervical cancer program

 

CHICAGO - Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today visited the Taste of Polonia Festival, on Chicago's Northside to encourage Polish-American and other Illinois women to sign up for a recently expanded state program that provides free screenings and treatment for breast and cervical cancer to women without insurance.  On Mother's Day, Gov. Blagojevich announced the expansion of the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP) enabling up to 3,000 more uninsured, low-income women in the state to be eligible for free cancer screenings and treatment.  The expanded program began enrolling uninsured women Friday.

 

Women can find out how to get breast and cervical cancer screening and treatment by logging on to www.cancerscreening.illinois.gov or by calling the Women's Health-Line at 888-522-1282 or for TTY (hearing impaired use only), 800-547-0466.  Information on IBCCP and other women health issues and programs can also be found on the IDPH website, www.idph.state.il.us.

 

"The Taste of Polonia remains a Chicago tradition, celebrating its rich Polish heritage.  Today I would like to encourage Polish-American women and all Illinois women without health insurance to sign up and take advantage of our new state program. When it comes to breast and cervical cancer, early detection is the key to survival.  When breast cancer is diagnosed early, the survival rate is 96 percent, and cervical cancer is also treatable if detected early.  Early detection means finding the cancer before you see the symptoms.  But unfortunately, for many women who are uninsured, regular screening is not a realistic option," said Gov. Blagojevich.  "By expanding the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, 3,000 more women will have a shot at early detection, and for those who are diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer, they can now get free treatment even if they were diagnosed outside our system.  You can sign up by calling 888-522-1282."

 

Three to five thousand people visit the Taste of Polonia yearly to watch musical performances, experience the Polish culture, and of course, taste the food.  The festival boasts over 100 food vendors with a variety of ethnic flavor, three stages for musical acts ranging from a Pink Floyd cover band to the Funky Polak, and a variety of exhibits displaying Polish culture.  The festival is an opportunity for Chicago's Polish community to come together and celebrate their heritage.

 

"We welcome the Governor to the Taste of Polonia and commend him for his work in women's health," said Wanda Majacher, Executive Director of Copernicus Foundation.  "Through my experiences with cancer, I know the importance of early detection.  Polish American women have been hit hard with breast cancer, and we appreciate the Governor's program, which allows doctors to catch cancer early, in a treatable stage"

 

Since the Governor took office in 2003, the State has given more than 111,000 breast and cervical cancer screenings through the Illinois Healthy Women program, including more than 82,600 screenings provided for nearly 42,000 women through IBCCP.

 

Previously, IBCCP offered mammograms, breast exams, pelvic exams and Pap tests to women at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), or $40,000 for a family of four.  The Governor's expansion, which began last Friday, raises the income threshold to 250 percent of the FPL, or $50,000 for a family of four.  Consequently, IBCCP will screen and treat more Illinois women.

 

To be eligible, a woman must be uninsured and between the ages of 40 and 64 for mammograms and breast exams, and between 35 and 64 for pelvic exams and Pap tests.  On a case-by-case basis, younger, symptomatic women who meet the financial and insurance guidelines are considered for the program. 

 

The most recent statistics show 8,604 women in Illinois were diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer in 2003.  That same year, 2,057 women in Illinois died from breast or cervical cancer.  It is estimated that almost 9,000 women will be diagnosed with either breast or cervical cancer this year. 

 

An October 2005 study by the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network Collaborators estimated that breast cancer screening reduced the rate of death from breast cancer by up to 23 percent, and found that treatment is likely to be more effective if cancer is detected at an earlier stage.

 

"It is an honor for us to join Chicago's Polish Community for the Taste of Polonia," said Barry Maram, Director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.  "Gov. Blagojevich has taken tremendous steps to help working families in Illinois, including expanding the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program and creating All Kids, which gives every child in Illinois access to affordable, comprehensive healthcare.  These achievements will help families in the Polish community and throughout Illinois get the care they need."

 

Previously, if a woman was eligible for IBCCP, but was diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer outside of the program, then she was not eligible for treatment.  The Governor's expansion allows women who meet IBCCP eligibility requirements, but are diagnosed outside the current IBCCP sites, to go straight into the free treatment program through the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.  This gives women more choices and also avoids penalizing women who did not know about the program but who were screened and diagnosed by their doctor, community health center or other health care facility.

 

Approximately 425 Illinois women a month are receiving treatment as a result of IBCCP referrals.  With the expansion of eligible women into IBCCP and the entry of more women from other providers into the Treatment Act services, the number of women receiving treatment is expected to double.

 

Gov. Blagojevich has made other significant contributions to promote and improve women's health including: