Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center expanding cancer screening around NELA

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - The Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center has received a grant to allow them to expand cancer screening in the rural areas of Northeast Louisiana.

The Living Well Foundation has awarded the Cancer Center around $20,000 to help provide access to cancer screenings, patient education resources, navigation services and diagnostics for nearly 1,500 medically underserved individuals throughout the Delta region.

This grant will help Mary Bird Perkins provide services to five parishes including Caldwell, Franklin, Morehouse, Ouachita and Richland parishes.

Delta regional manager Myra Gatling-Akers says the cancer center will be able to provide “critical prevention” resources to help improve health outcomes.

“The state of Louisiana contains many diverse communities that face a variety of barriers to care,” Myra Gatling-Akers says. “With the help of the Living Well Foundation, Mary Bird Perkins can continue delivering screenings and education by targeting specific communities, making sure we’re not only maximizing our reach, but going into the areas that need these services the most.”

The cancer center says early screening and prevention are an important role in fighting cancer. Having better access to these services reduces the challenges of getting help.

To help reduce these challenges, the cancer center launched the Prevention on the Go (POGO) program to provide education and early detection which has helped the Cancer Center give more than 107,000 screenings to individuals throughout Louisiana and Southwest Mississippi.

Alice Prophit, president and chief executive officer of the Living Well Foundation says, “In order to improve one’s health and quality of life, a strong support system is essential. This is why we work with organizations like Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, which has a long history of providing community-focused services to those in need. Together, we can reach even more residents who desire, and need, cancer prevention services.”

To learn more about the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and the cancer screening events, visit their website.