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SAINT ANTHONY HOSPITAL AWARDED BREAST CANCER CARE GRANT

Saint Anthony Hospital Awarded $250,000 Grant For Breast Cancer Care

Carol Kurzig, President, Avon Foundation (center) presents a $250,000 grant for enhancements to Saint Anthony Hospital's digital mammography capabilities to Jill Stemmerman, Chief Nursing Officer (l) and Elizabeth Vernick, Vice President of Development.

Carol Kurzig, President, Avon Foundation (center) presents a $250,000 grant for enhancements to Saint Anthony Hospital's digital mammography capabilities to Jill Stemmerman, Chief Nursing Officer (l) and Elizabeth Vernick, Vice President of Development.

The tenth annual Avon Walk for Breast Cancer season continued with the Avon Walk Chicago on June 3, 2012, which raised $6.3 million to advance access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer. The Avon Walk Chicago, the fourth of nine Avon Walks this year, attracted more than 2,800 participants from 39 states and Washington, D.C., as well as Canada, and included 356 men and 340 breast cancer survivors who all joined together to raise life-saving funds and awareness for breast cancer.

Carol Kurzig, president of the Avon Foundation for Women, announced during the Closing Ceremony a total of more than $3.79 million in grants to 10 local Chicago organizations, ensuring the funds raised immediately benefit the community. More grants are slated to be awarded throughout the year to breast cancer programs nationwide.

Saint Anthony Hospital was one of the 10 grantees and received $250,000 to support the purchase of digital mammography equipment that will improve detection services to patients in its service area which includes North Lawndale, Little Village, Pilsen, Back of the Yards, Brighton Park, McKinley Park, Cicero and Berwyn.

“Our beneficiaries here in Chicagoland are leaders from your communities who are dedicated to the fight against breast cancer,” said Kurzig. “These organizations are providing breast cancer screening, care and support services every day. They are also researching the causes and improved treatments for breast cancer, but also a way to someday prevent it altogether.”

The grant marks Saint Anthony’s first from Avon Foundation. “We appreciate this generous grant. As a community hospital, we rely on support from donors like the Avon Foundation to enable us to provide patients in our community with state-of-the-art equipment for their care” states Guy A. Medaglia, President & Chief Executive Officer.

Saint Anthony Hospital conducted more than 2,450 mammograms in 2011, of which, 77 percent were Latinas. This project will increase the number of appointment times for screening and diagnostic mammograms by 40 percent and, subsequently, reduce the wait time for mammogram results.

Other recipients included: Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University, Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force, University of Chicago, Rush Copley Foundation (Aurora, IL), Loretto Hospital, Mercy Hospital, Sinai Health System, Swedish Covenant Hospital, and Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization,.

For more than one hundred years, Saint Anthony Hospital has been committed to serving its community consisting of North Lawndale, Pilsen, Little Village, Back of the Yards, Brighton Park, McKinley Park, Cicero and Berwyn. Saint Anthony has eight health clinics that provide a variety of community-specific services.

As a “hospital without walls”, Saint Anthony provides free bilingual community health education/outreach programs and services. Saint Anthony Hospital staff work with community-based organizations, schools, parishes and other agencies to bring health education, early childhood and mental health services.

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More Information

If cancer should ever touch your life, rest assured that Saint Anthony Hospital has the experience and expertise to support you and your family completely.

Chemotherapy and supportive care such as transfusions and medications to reduce nausea are provided for a wide-range of cancer diagnoses. Treatment is coordinated by a Saint Anthony Hospital medical oncologist.

Staff is dedicated to providing friendly, personal care and includes nurses with advanced knowledge in oncology and chemotherapy.

You may contact the Cancer Treatment Center at (773) 484-1885.

Saint Anthony Hospital | 2875 W. 19th St, Chicago, IL 60623 | (773) 484-1000