Community Profile

For more information, please contact Diana Drews at (414) 389-4881.

Biennial Community Profile continues to Show Breast Care Challenges in Milwaukee, Racine and Waukesha as well as among African American Women

Susan G. Komen for the Cure Southeastern Wisconsin Affiliate Identifies Priorities to Eliminate Barriers, Collaborate, Seek Financial assistance, and Increase Awareness and Education

August 4, 2011, MILWAUKEE, WI: Milwaukee, Racine and Waukesha were identified as counties that need intensified focus due to higher rates of breast cancer and/or mortality, according to a regular biennial community profile commissioned by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Southeastern Wisconsin Affiliate.

The proportion and number of women dying from breast cancer are higher in these communities, and we need to concentrate our efforts to reduce the frequency of breast cancer cases through early diagnosis,” said Diana Drews, Executive Director, Susan G. Komen for the Cure Southeastern Wisconsin Affiliate. The study also found racial disparities in breast cancer diagnosis and mortality, especially among African American Women.”

The study covered the Komen affiliate’s eight-county service area of southeastern Wisconsin. In addition to numerical data, researchers conducted 21 interviews with key informants to get a fuller picture of the data. The outcomes are similar to the last community profile completed in 2009 when Milwaukee, Racine and Waukesha were also identified as key target areas of focus.

Systemic barriers preventing women from accessing routine breast exam care were identified, including the economy, complexity of the health system, inaccessible services, lack of resources for care, complexity of aid programs, providers’ inadequate cultural awareness, and conflicting mammography recommendations. Individual barriers were identified: cost, lack of knowledge, fear, language/culture, transportation/child care, time, and the philosophy of “putting others first.

Given the Community Profile’s findings about the dire impact of breast cancer in the region, the Southeast Wisconsin Komen Affiliate identified the following key areas of need for 2011-2013:

• Eliminating Barriers: Reduce systemic and individual barriers to breast health services for targeted populations in our service area, including African American, low income and un-/underinsured women in Milwaukee, Racine and Waukesha Counties.
• Collaboration: Strengthen existing and create new partnerships for providing women with access to breast cancer screening, diagnostic and access to treatment care, in order to avoid duplication of efforts and ensure that women are connected with resources.Financial Assistance: Maintain and expand the financial assistance programs available for screening, diagnostic and access to treatment care in the service area.
• Education/Awareness: Increased breast health awareness and education, with a focus on screening, for women in our target communities.

It is our promise, our mission and our goal to help people understand the importance of the benefits of regular breast health screenings and make sure all women, regardless of their race or financial circumstances, have full access to routine breast health services. This is especially critical for African American women in our community. We are dedicated to making screening numbers go up and breast cancer deaths go down,” Drews said. PNC Bank underwrote the cost of community profile, which will greatly benefit the communities served by both organizations and other health care partners.

We are pleased to be partnering with Komen to support research that can have an impact on a disease that takes a harsh toll on our community,” said Chad Tessmer, Vice President -Director of Client and Community Relations at PNC Financial Services Group.

To download a complete copy of the 2011 Community Profile, click here.