Elizabethtown, N.Y. (October 26, 2018) – The University of Health Network – Elizabethtown Community Hospital and The Cancer Services Program of Northeastern NY will host a Women’s Health Night on Wednesday, November 7 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the hospital’s Elizabethtown Campus at 75 Park Street, Elizabethtown. The free event is open to both uninsured and insured women.  Women with health insurance will be billed when applicable.

The Cancer Services Program (CSP) of Northeastern New York is a state funded initiative that provides breast, cervical and colon cancer screening to eligible New York residents. It is administered by the University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) in Clinton, Essex and Franklin Counties.

“We’re excited to join our colleagues at Elizabethtown Community Hospital to help make breast cancer screening more accessible for uninsured women or women whose coverage doesn’t cover the cost of the screening,” said DiDi Remchuk, CSP Program Coordinator. “This is one of many recent screening events we’ve hosted across the region to reach women in need of mammography.”

Screenings and services will include mammography and clinical breast exam; pap/pelvic test; colon screening (if eligible); bone density; cholesterol; A1C (blood sugar); body mass index; blood pressure; and pulse oximetry (oxygen level). The event will also feature vendors, free refreshments, giveaways and prize drawings, including a free two-night stay at the award-winning Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa in Lake Placid.

“Routine screening exams are among the most important tools in preventing and detecting cancer and other chronic illnesses,” said Julie Tromblee, vice president and chief nursing officer Elizabethtown Community Hospital. “Unfortunately, many women are so busy taking care of others, they don’t always make time to protect their own health. And for women without health insurance, cost can be a significant barrier to getting screened. Our goal with Women’s Health Night is to make potentially life-saving screenings more accessible to women across our community.”

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that women who are at average risk for breast cancer (for example, no family or personal history of breast cancer, or no genetic risk), have a mammogram every two years between the ages of 50 and 74. However, some women may need to be screened younger than age 50 or more often based on their risk factors or symptoms. For women who are at average risk of colorectal cancer, the USPSTF recommends women at average risk of colorectal cancer start regular screening at age 50.  Women with a family history of colorectal cancer should talk to their primary care physician to see if screening should begin at an earlier age. For more information on the USPSTF recommendations, please visit www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org.

Appointments are required for the screenings. To reserve your spot or for more information on the event, please call (518) 324-7671.