Wellness on Wheels Receives $50K Grant for Breast Cancer Screening

Atlanta, GA – (July 13, 2010) DeKalb Medical’s Wellness on Wheels (WOW) Program has been awarded a grant in the amount of $50,000 by It’s the Journey, Inc. WOW, a community health program of DeKalb Medical and the DeKalb Medical Foundation, is a mobile clinic offering free, preventive health screenings and health education to medically underserved communities in DeKalb and surrounding counties.

Breast cancer screening is one of the main services WOW provides. Through the generosity of foundations and other organizations such as It’s The Journey, WOW is able to offer screening mammograms and diagnostic evaluation of breast abnormalities free of charge to those without health insurance or access to healthcare services. WOW performs about 1,500 screening and diagnostic mammograms each year. Approximately 20 cases of breast cancer per year are identified through WOW screening services.

“We have seen a great increase in the need for these services over the past year because of the economy and many people losing jobs and insurance benefits”, says Janet Rizan, WOW Program Director. “DeKalb Medical and WOW are very grateful to It’s The Journey for assisting us in providing these much needed services to the local community,” Rizan adds.

The Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer, which takes place on the weekend of October 2-3, 2010 enables It’s The Journey to support programs such as WOW. To register for the walk, visit www.2DayWalk.org.

About DeKalb Medical

The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons validated the excellence of DeKalb Medical’s program by granting it a three-year approval as a community hospital comprehensive oncology program. Only 20 percent of hospitals in the United States have been able to achieve this cancer center accreditation approval status. In addition, DeKalb Medical also received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Commission on Cancer for meeting or exceeding the seven standards set out by the Commission.

Also a leader in heart attack treatment and orthopedics, DeKalb Medical is a non-profit hospital system serving half a million patients annually. It was also named in the top 5% of all U.S. hospitals in 2009 and 2010 for clinical excellence by HealthGrades® and received the Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence award. Founded in Atlanta in 1961, the system includes the 451-bed DeKalb Medical at North Decatur.  In addition, the System also operates the 40-bed DeKalb Medical Long Term Acute Care at Downtown Decatur and the 100-bed DeKalb Medical at Hillandale in Lithonia. For more information on DeKalb Medical, visit www.dekalbmedical.org

About The Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer

The Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer is a 30-mile walk to raise money and awareness for Atlanta area breast cancer organizations.  In just its first seven years, the 2-Day Walk has generated more than $6.6 million to fund programs that help provide awareness, education, diagnosis, treatment and much more.  Visit www.2DayWalk.org or call 404.531.4111 for more information or to volunteer.

About It’s The Journey

It’s The Journey, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to strengthening Atlanta's breast cancer community by raising money and awareness for local Atlanta organizations that focus on breast cancer education, early detection, awareness and support services, as well as the unmet needs in the breast cancer community. Visit www.2DayWalk.org or call 404.531.4111, for more information.

Tori Vogt
Media Relations Coordinator
DeKalb Medical
tori.vogt@dekalbmedical.org
404-501-2885