10.09.07

“Painting Laughlin Pink” to raise awareness within the community of breast cancer.  Committee members represent members of Laughlin Health Care Foundation Board of Trustees, spouses of Foundation board members, LMH Volunteers, and staff of Laughlin Center for Women’s Health.  Pictured:  Front row, seated: Betty Carter Justis, Jean Henard, and Eloise Emory.  Second row: Lisa Kirk and Patty Tilson.  Third row:  Cecil Easterly, Kathy Clark, Emily Rivers, Shelia Carter, Susan Holzschuh, Karen Teague, and Betty Weemes.  Not pictured is Donna Coughlin, who also helped with the project.

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October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the American Cancer Society reports that one in every eight women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. 

Laughlin Center for Women’s Health, Laughlin Memorial Hospital Volunteers, and Laughlin Health Care Foundation are engaging in a project that will “paint” the campus and interior of the Hospital “pink,” in an obvious display to raise awareness to breast cancer. Pink bows will be tied around trees and utility poles to draw attention to breast cancer awareness.  Additionally, pink bows will be reflected at the entrances to the Hospital and throughout the interior, as visible reminders to women and men in our community to be alert to breast cancer and to be conscientious of early detection.

Several month-long activities are planned by Laughlin Center for Women’s Health and Laughlin Health Care Foundation. Hospital employees and others in the community are encouraged to wear pink on Friday, October 19, during National Mammography Day to raise awareness to the importance of this day.

Speaking engagements are scheduled throughout the community and will feature physicians, staff members of Laughlin Center for Women’s Health, and others to convey the significant message of early detection of breast cancer.

Packets of information will be distributed to Women’s Center patients throughout the month of October and at the speaking engagements. These packets include an array of useful items in addition to the “Yes, Mam!” stickers.  The “Yes, Mam!” program is a reminder to women and men to practice three-way detection, as recommended by the American Cancer Society.  The stickers are placed on one’s calendar to encourage early discovery of breast cancer. The packet includes a fully integrated brochure to explain the program and provide information to help women and men to be more successful in detecting breast cancer.

Laughlin Center for Women’s Health encourages women to be aware of the three-step program for early exposure of breast cancer and healthy breast care:

• Perform monthly breast self-exam
• If you are over 40, schedule an annual mammogram
• Have a clinical breast exam by a doctor or health care professional every year, if you are age 40 or over; every three years for women age 20 to 39.

Laughlin Center for Women’s Health is a comprehensive center that offers accredited mammography; accredited ultrasound for the breast, pelvic and obstetric studies; stereotactic breast biopsy; a computer aided detection system to assist radiologists in reading associated imaging; and bone densitometry testing for osteoporosis. A professional qualified staff supports these state-of-the-art pieces of diagnostic equipment.

The comprehensive Health Information Library, located inside the Women’s Center,  provides health and wellness materials to the entire community. Over 200 books, including numerous books and other publications on breast cancer, reference materials, periodicals, and videos, are available, free of charge for check-out to the public. Additionally, Internet access is available and 25 pages can be printed free-of-charge from healthcare sites.

The library is open the same hours as the Women’s Center: Monday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m; and Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Laughlin is the host site for the American Cancer Society’s “Look Good, Feel Better” program, a program designed to support women who are in active treatment for cancer.  Through this free program, women learn how to combat the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment through proper use of cosmetics and wigs, scarves, and other accessories.  The cosmetics and hair accessories are without charge to the patient.

The program is held the second Monday of each month at Laughlin Center for Women’s Health at Laughlin Memorial Hospital, 1420 Tusculum Blvd., from 10:00 a.m to 12:00 noon. 

To register for the “Look Good, Feel Better” program, please call Fran Ricker-Gregory at 639.1600 or Joyce Hyde at 639.2661.

Additionally, the new support-group program for cancer survivors will be offered the first Monday of each month from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the LMH private dining room. The program is presented as a community-benefit program by Laughlin Memorial Hospital and the American Cancer Society to provide information, support, and educate.

The Reverend Abby Cole Keller will be the facilitator for the meetings. A cordial invitation is extended to all survivors and family members to attend. Please call Susan Price, director of social services, for additional information about the support group at 787.5026.

Further, Laughlin is a healthcare site that participates in the Reach to Recovery program through volunteers.  The program unites trained volunteers with women and men who are in various stages of breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, or recovery.  The volunteers, who are breast cancer survivors themselves, provide comfort, understanding and hope, as they provide prosthetic bras and other support to mastectomy patients.

Chuck Whitfield, president and CEO, Laughlin Memorial Hospital, said, “There is great value in the “Paint Laughlin Pink” campaign.  When patients and their families, employees and other visitors drive onto the Laughlin campus, they will be reminded of the benefits of being faithful to the guidelines of early detection of breast cancer. Whitfield further stated, “This campaign is designed to seize attention and educate; if one life is saved, the energy of painting Laughlin pink will be well worth the effort.”

Join Laughlin Memorial Hospital and Laughlin Center for Women’s Health in the fight against breast cancer and be mindful of the purpose of painting the campus pink at Laughlin Memorial Hospital: To raise alertness of women and men in our community to National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and breast cancer, itself.

For additional information, contact the Laughlin Center for Women’s Health at 787.5123 or Laughlin Health Care Foundation at 787.5117.