St. Joseph’s/Candler Mammography Fund
What is the purpose of the SJ/C Mammography Fund?
St. Joseph’s/Candler (SJ/C) believes no woman should have to worry about how to pay for potentially life-saving screenings or treatments. This conviction, with assistance from the local Zonta Club, led to the creation of the SJ/C Mammography Fund in 2005. The purpose of the SJ/C Mammography Fund is to provide no cost breast health services to uninsured/underinsured individuals. These services include screening and diagnostic mammograms, breast ultrasounds, MRI and image-guided breast biopsies.
Need to use the Mammography Fund? Please Call 912-819-7055.
Would you like to donate to the Mammography Fund? Call 912-819-8683 or donate online now.
Breast Cancer Facts
Breast cancer is the most common cancer and second leading cause of death among American women. Although 1 in 8 women (12%) will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, death rates have been declining since 1990. This decline is believed to be the result of increased awareness, improved treatment options and the most important attributing factor: early detection. Mammograms are one of the best methods to catch this disease early. In fact, if this disease is caught early enough, the five year survival rate is 96 percent. The SJ/C Mammography Fund has funded thousands of free mammograms and additional breast health services for women in need in Savannah and the surrounding region. Unfortunately, due to the current economic environment, many people are without health insurance and/or have limited financial means or deductibles they can’t meet. In fact, over 50% of Georgians, aged 18-64 with a household income of less than $25,000, have no insurance at all. What does this mean? It means more women are relying on the SJ/C Mammography Fund. The result: a 981% increase of fund utilization in the past three years alone.
How does the SJ/C Mammography Fund get reimbursed?
All breast health services provided by SJ/C for the uninsured/underinsured are reimbursed by the Fund at the Medicaid rate (80% write off). The hospital writes off the rest of the charges for women who have qualified for the Fund. Additionally, radiologists, pathologists, and surgeons agree to lower charges for these patients. By lowering the charges for reimbursement from the Fund, SJ/C is able to make the monies last longer therefore fulfilling our mission to provide breast services at no cost to the women we serve.
Giving to the Mammography Fund
In years past, grants and a handful of fundraising events were enough to sustain the Fund. However, with the increased demand, the Mammography Fund is presently paying out more than it’s receiving.To ensure continuation of this important effort,
SJ/C needs support from interested individuals, our community and organizations to raise money and awareness for the Mammography Fund.