Northwest Hospital Receives Grant from Susan G. Komen Maryland for Freedom to Screen Campaign

Baltimore, MD - The Freedom to Screen program at the Herman & Walter Samuelson Breast Care Center at Northwest Hospital was recently awarded a grant from Susan G. Komen Maryland to continue its vital work in reaching underserved women in Baltimore City and County.

This year, Komen Maryland awarded $1,011,803 to only 14 grant programs across the state; Freedom to Screen received $87,849. This year, Komen's emphasis is primarily on expanding and enhancing diagnostic and screening services across Baltimore City, Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore.

Freedom to Screen's core goals are awareness and prevention: The program educates women to be more knowledgeable about their risks of breast cancer, and helps un-and-underinsured women navigate the resources that can limit these risks, such as breast cancer screenings, clinical breast exams, mammograms and follow-up diagnostic procedures.

This year, the Freedom to Screen program broadened its reach by partnering with Nueva Vida, a non-profit organization that advocates for medically-underserved Latinas with cancer. Nueva Vida is the only organization of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic; its bilingual staff guides women and their families through the medical system and helps them tap into the lifesaving services and treatments they need.

Community outreach and education are also key elements of the Freedom to Screen program. Its guiding principles are that every woman should be empowered to make the best decisions for her health, and that knowledge is the first step to this empowerment.

Northwest Hospital is part of LifeBridge Health, one of the largest, most comprehensive providers of health services in Maryland. LifeBridge Health also includes Sinai Hospital, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, Courtland Gardens Nursing & Rehabilitation Center and related subsidiaries and affiliates. For more information, visit lbhstaging22.lifebridgehealth.org