Copy
In this issue of Lab Notes we highlight our recent See Test & Treat event, which provided free breast and cervical cancer screenings to underserved women in the Bronx.

Dr. Michael Prystowsky
Professor and University Chairman
Department of Pathology

 
Share
Tweet
Forward
Pathology resident Sabrine Racine-Brzostek explains to a patient the difference between healthy and abnormal cervical cells.
On Saturday, May 14, 2016, over 30 underserved Bronx women age 21 to 64 turned out for the Third Annual See Test & Treat® program, held at Montefiore Advanced Imaging, part of the Moses Division of Montefiore Medical Center. A dedicated team of Montefiore pathologists and clinicians from the departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Radiology provided free cervical and breast cancer screenings and same-day test results.

The program provides an opportunity for those in need of medical care who are otherwise not able to receive it. The participants, many of whom lack health insurance, received a pelvic exam and Pap test to screen for cervical cancer and/or a breast exam along with a mammogram to screen for breast cancer. By also providing same-day test results, access to insurance options, and connections to follow up services, including primary care, the program helped to eliminate the many barriers to care that underserved Bronx women face.

“It is an important venture for the Bronx Community as it targets an underserved patient population with often limited access and/or education about preventative health care,” said Talitha Bruney, MD, an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health. While it was not the first PAP test for most of the participants, Dr. Bruney said many had fallen off schedule due to lack of insurance and ease of access to care.
Talitha Bruney, MD, (left) an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, with her team at See Test & Treat.
Juana, 33, a home health aide from the Bronx who has no health insurance, said she came for her first-ever mammogram because of her family's breast cancer history. Juana’s 42-year-old sister recently underwent a double mastectomy and is now receiving chemotherapy treatment. Her mom, who is in her sixties, had one breast removed after her diagnosis two years ago. “I’m still young, but I know that I may be at risk,” Juana said.

The See Test & Treat® program is funded by a grant from the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Foundation, also provided valuable educational opportunities to patients as they waited for their results.

Pathology residents Evan Himchak, Gloria Ramos-Rivera, and Sabrine Racine-Brzostek were on-hand throughout the day to answer patient’s questions, in both English and Spanish.

Sitting at one end of a dual-headed microscope, Dr. Ramos-Rivera explained to a Spanish-speaking patient the difference between healthy and abnormal cervical cells by showing her examples under the microscope.

“We try to educate them on cervical dysplasia and its risk of developing into cancer,” said Dr. Himchak, a pathology chief resident. “We also describe how pap smears are used as a screening test to catch early precursor lesions which can then be treated.”

The two-hour test result turnaround was made possible by a team of cytotechnologists, the primary screeners of the Pap specimens, who decide which Pap tests are normal, and which are abnormal, requiring further review by the pathologists.
 
Montefiore administrative dietician Georgette Goldstein explains the importance of nutrition to help prevent obesity, diabetes, and improve overall health at the recent See Test & Treat event.
The day's event, organized by pathology department project manager Jonathan Sussman and administrative assistant Tracie Hunter, also featured community health outreach. Educators from the Latina SHARE, Bronx Community Health Network, HealthFirst and Ridgewood Savings Bank were also on-hand to explain various free and low-cost health care and financial services available to the low-income and underserved populations. Montefiore administrative dietician Georgette Goldstein explained to patients the importance of nutrition to help prevent obesity, diabetes and improve overall health.

More than 12,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year, and the incidence of both cervical and breast cancer among minority women is higher than that of the general population.
Please email comments, suggestions and story ideas to PathNews@einstein.yu.eduLab Notes is produced by the Department of Pathology for members of the Montefiore clinical community to keep them updated on the latest developments in laboratory medicine at Montefiore Medical Center.  Visit the Pathology Department online here
Facebook
Twitter
Website
YouTube
LinkedIn