Many people don’t realize the risk: One in three women will get cancer in their lifetime, including one in eight who will have invasive breast cancer. But for two of the most common cancers affecting women, breast cancer and cervical cancer, nearly all women can survive if it’s caught in the early stages. Here at Memorial Regional Health in Craig, CO, the Women’s Wellness Connection (WWC) offers life-saving mammograms and Pap tests for free to women who qualify.
“There are a lot of things that can cause women to get behind on their routine mammograms or Pap tests. Life gets hectic at times. Some women don’t have regular doctor appointments or health insurance,” said Dr. Elise Sullivan, at Memorial Regional Health, which is one of more than 100 clinics in Colorado that participate in the WWC program. “We urge all women to prioritize their health, to make sure they — and all the women they love — are getting their mammograms and Pap tests on time, because it really can become the difference between life and death.”
Women over 21 should begin getting checked for cervical cancer every three to five years with a Pap test (also called a Pap smear) and/or an HPV test. Women over 40 can get checked for breast cancer with a mammogram. Doctors recommend getting this X-ray test every one to two years, depending on age.
The WWC program serves women ages 21–64 with no health insurance or limited insurance who are also on a limited budget. To find out more about the program, visit womenswellnessconnection.org. Memorial Regional Health is proud to have a highly skilled and dedicated team of family medicine providers. With decades of combined experience, we are committed to always putting our patients first and to improve their lives in any way that we can. Please call 970-826-8012 to see if you qualify for assistance. Women can also call the American Cancer Society at 1-866-951-9355 for help finding a clinic that offers free or low-cost cancer screenings as part of the WWC program near them.
