The Healthcare Foundation of La Porte (HFL) will once again be able to fund mammograms for uninsured and underinsured women in La Porte and Starke County who do not have the resources to pay for these services. The Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust (IBCAT) awarded a $16,000 grant for 2019 to continue HFL’s Breast Cancer Project.
The Breast Cancer Project is an established comprehensive effort to encourage and educate women about breast health and the importance of early detection since 2005. This project provides screening mammograms and diagnostic mammography services to uninsured and underinsured women who meet ACS High Risk criteria or are forty years of age and older. To see if they qualify for a voucher for a free mammogram, women should contact their La Porte or Starke County physician’s office and mention the mammogram voucher program.
The mission of IBCAT is to increase awareness and improve access to breast cancer screening and diagnosis throughout Indiana. IBCAT funds their grants through the sale of Indiana’s Breast Cancer Awareness special group recognition license plates. Since the plate was first made available in 2002, the program has provided over $5 million in grants for breast cancer screening, diagnostic and support programs to help tens of thousands of underserved Hoosier women receive the services they need. IBCAT has provided over $231,000 in funding to the Breast Cancer Project since 2005.
All Indiana residents may purchase an Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness special group recognition license plate by visiting any Indiana BMV license branch or online at www.in.gov/bmv for an annual $40 distinctive plate fee, $25 of which is a direct tax-deductible donation to IBCAT. The plate may be purchased to display on trucks with a declared weight of not more than eleven thousand (11,000) pounds, recreational vehicles, passenger motor vehicles and motorcycles.
The Indiana breast cancer awareness license plate was the idea of late Nancy Jaynes, a Plymouth High School family and consumer sciences teacher. Nancy lost her battle with breast cancer in 2008. Her vision for the license plate to be a traveling billboard and reminder about the importance of early detection and prevention of breast cancer carries on and continues to make a difference in the lives of thousands of Hoosier women.
HFL is proud to continue partnerships with IBCAT, the Michigan City Women’s Bowling Association, La Porte City Fire Department Local 360 and other community partners for the Breast Cancer Project.
