Local Impact: The Breast Cancer Lady in Geary County

How do you encourage women (and men) to pay attention to their breast health?  According to Erma Patterson, BSN, Health Educator with the Geary County Health Dept., you go to the churches, you go to the beauty shops, and you talk to people at Wal-Mart or Dillons. Patterson said she holds the outreach programs anywhere and everywhere she can.

“I’ve literally walked the streets of Junction City getting the education and information out.” said Patterson.   “The town knows me as the breast cancer lady and that’s okay.”
 

The Geary County Health Department partners with Susan G. Komen Kansas to get the word out regarding breast cancer education. Four years ago the Komen Kansas community profile that showed late stage breast cancer diagnosis in African American women was really high in Geary County.

“What is missing, how do we get the message across?” Patterson asked when discussing how to help African American women understand the need for regular mammograms and breast exams.
Since then Patterson has been working to educate all women in Geary County about breast cancer health and awareness.

Kirsten Bruce, Education and Grants Coordinator for Susan G. Komen Kansas explained that they reached out to the Geary County Health Department about assisting them with providing educational outreach.

“We talked to them about the numbers. Since then Erma has spent the past four years making sure that women have the information that they need to get screenings, and resources to help them get screenings if they don’t have insurance,” said Bruce.

 

Patterson feels the support of Komen Kansas, her administrator and the community.  The Komen grant is providing breast health screenings, mammograms/follow-up referrals, and breast cancer risk education in Geary County. Komen Kansas recently conducted another community profile and Bruce said that the late stage diagnosis numbers have decreased in Geary County.

 

“Geary County did not come up with statistics this year as higher incidents in late stage diagnosis. We haven’t done specific longitudinal research on it but I think, even in those four years, we’ve seen an improvement in the numbers just from the work that Erma has done,” Bruce said.

And Erma Patterson will continue her work to encourage women (and men), young and old to take care of their breast health and to help them navigate the process.

 

“If someone needs information, I’ll be there with my Komen DVD and education materials; whatever needs to be done.”

You can reach Erma Patterson at the Geary County Health Department 785-762-5025 to inquire about breast health education and services. The Geary County Health Department has been serving the Junction City, Geary County and the Fort Riley area since 1949.