Bringing cancer testing to libraries

For women in Queens, half of whom are estimated to be immigrants, getting screened for cancer has heretofore been considered culturally taboo, financially burdensome, difficult to schedule and get to, or simply a bother.
Possibly, as a result, Queens has a lower rate of doctors detecting cancer as compared with the rest of the State, and more often in the borough, late-stage cancers are found.
At Queens Health Network, which is comprised of Queens Health Center and Elmhurst Hospital Center, the rate of late-stage detection of breast cancer is almost three times that of the national average.
However, several organizations hope to change the perception of cancer screenings by bringing the tests and mobile healthcare facility to women nearby to a place where they feel at home - their local library.
On Wednesday, January 17, the American Cancer Society, Queens Library, Queens Hospital Center, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital launched HealthLink, a five-year, $2 million initiative to offer free and low-cost cancer information, screenings and resources at 20 locations borough-wide.
“Working together with like-minded agencies is one of the most important ways we can help reach those residents of Queens who most need our assistance,” said David Golub, the Regional Vice President of the American Cancer Society’s Queens office. “We are proud to be a partner in the Queens Library HealthLink project because it allows us to continue our most important goal of decreasing the burden of cancer throughout the communities of Queens.”
Within the coming several weeks, scheduling for the mobile unit will be drawn up for the 20 libraries - Astoria, Arverne, Baisley Park, Central Library, Corona, Elmhurst, Far Rockaway, Flushing, Jackson Heights, Langston Hughes, Lefrak City, Long Island City, Pomonok, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, South Hollis, South Jamaica, St. Albans, and Woodside.
Once up and running, the state-of-the-art cancer screening van will offer digital mammograms, clinical breast exams, pelvic exams, and pap smears. The services will be free to women who are 40 years of age and up, have limited or no insurance, have not had a mammogram, and be dispensed regardless of immigration status.
Funded in part by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), HealthLink will be staffed by two coordinators and several medical services personnel, who will perform the screenings.
Local politicians, who provided funding for HealthLink - Borough President Helen Marshall, Councilmembers Hiram Monserrate and Helen Sears - praised the initiative for bringing cancer care to Queens, at a time that the borough is experiencing a hospital bed shortage with one hospital bed for every 1,000 borough residents.
Monserrate also spoke about a loved one’s bout with cancer. His sister, Diane Muriel, passed away in January 2006 from the disease.
“As you can imagine this is an extremely important issue to me. All too often, individuals, and in particular, women aren’t screened early enough,” Monserrate said.
“Part of the reason that I funded this is because I understood that this would definitely save lives.”
For more information about the cancer screenings, contact the Queens Cancer Center of Queens Hospital Center at 718-883-4031.