Methodist goes pink with valued partner Susan G. Komen

This October, Methodist Healthcare proudly served as a Presenting Sponsor of the Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth Race for the Cure, an annual event that raises funding to support the mission of Susan G. Komen to combat breast cancer at every level.

“We are so honored to be able to support the race. This level of support both conveys our healthcare system’s commitment to combating breast cancer mortality in Memphis and the Mid-South — as well as our gratitude to Susan G. Komen for their meaningful and impactful work,” said Monica Wharton, Methodist’s Chief Legal Counsel.

While the event took place in October, the partnership between Methodist and Susan G. Komen, which launched almost eight years ago, is year-round.

Following a study that found that, among the nation's top 25 largest cities, Memphis had the largest breast cancer mortality disparity between black and white women, Methodist and many other concerned healthcare providers committed to addressing this critical health disparity.

Since the beginning, Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth has supported Methodist’s community-based breast cancer navigation work through their grant funding.

With their grants, Methodist is able to address key barriers that women in Memphis and the Mid-South face in accessing preventive breast health screenings- a key step in promoting earlier detection and combating breast cancer mortality.

“In total, with Komen’s support, we’ve been able to provide more than 3,500 free screenings to women who are in need,” said Wharton. “Additionally, we’ve been able to address the barrier of lack of transportation through the launch of the Methodist Mobile Mammography bus and the provision of free transportation so women are able to attend their screenings.”

Susan G. Komen’s support, totaling well over $600,000, has paid for screening and diagnostic services for uninsured and impoverished women, covered the cost of transportation to and from appointments, and supported community-based education and outreach.

“One out of eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes,” says Wharton. “So, any opportunity to raise awareness to this issue and to raise funds is critical to ensuring that people within our community are getting the access to care that they need.”

To learn more about how you can support this work, contact Emily Tipton at emily.tipton@mlh.org.