Gioia Sponsors Get Your Mom A Mammogram

Councilmember Eric Gioia believes that the best Mothers Day present is the gift of safety. Gioia joined Speaker Gifford Miller and other City Council members announcing a series of initiatives to make mammograms more accessible to women and to publicize the importance of women over 40 having annual mammograms
"Breast cancer is treatable when caught earlyit need not be the killer that it is," Gioia said. "The message is simpleif you are a woman over 40, schedule an annual mammogram. We are going to do as much outreach as we can to get that message out to all women. By cutting through red tape, we are literally saving women’s lives."
The initiatives include a plan to partner with Chambers of Commerce to remind women to schedule their annual mammogram appointments. "Get Your Mom a Mammogram for Mothers Day, The Best Gift is the Gift of Good Health," was the theme for this effort. A New York City Community Health phone survey found that 77% of NYC women 40 years or older had a mammogram in the past two years. However, in eight neighborhoods, including Ridgewood and Forest Hills, fewer than 74% of women 40 and older had a mammogram in the past two years.