Erin Olson, Director of Wellness and Health Promotion at the Knox County Health Department, detailed the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, which assists women ages 35 to 64 with insurance costs.
“We all know that breast cancer is out there and cervical cancer is out there. We do have a lot of women though who fall through the cracks; whether that be with having no insurance or having insurance that might not cover some of the services, to go in and get a mammogram, or to get a cervical cancer screening, a pap smear, whatever you would have,” she said.
A grant given by the state of Illinois allows local health departments such as Knox, Warren, and Henderson counties to cover costs associated with breast and cervical cancer screenings that patients might not be able to pay for.
1 in 8 women are affected by breast cancer in the United States, which has more clear-cut signs and symptoms than cervical cancer. Olson reiterated the importance of taking advantage of this great opportunity to ensure you’re healthy:
“Losing grant money is not something we want to do, so we definitely want to utilize this money because it is a great service to offer to women in our communities,” Olson said.
For more information about these screenings, contact the Knox County Health Department at 344-2224 or log on to knoxcountyhealth.org.
written by Jackson Kane
