Local Impact: Komen Kansas and UMMAM, Bridging the Gap in Southwest Kansas

After the last Community Profile, Seward County was chosen as a target community because of the high percentage of women who reported not receiving a mammogram in the last 12 months (39.9 percent) and it has the highest percentage of Hispanic residents in Kansas (56.6 percent).  Hispanics often face barriers to obtaining mammograms such as language, lack of insurance, and cultural barriers.  These barriers have resulted in Hispanic women being among the lowest screening rates of all racial and ethnic groups.  This has lead, in part, to breast cancer being the leading cause of mortality among Latina women and five-year survival rates for Latina women being among the lowest of any racial or ethnic group.

Just 66% of Hispanic women in Kansas over the age of 50 reported having a mammogram in the past two years. Important barriers such as an inability to speak the language, popular misconceptions about mammography and breast cancer, an inability to afford services or a lack of sufficient autonomy to structure their day so as to access breast health services and screenings all erect barriers between women and better breast health. 

This led Komen Kansas to reach out to a partner in southwest Kansas to help bridge the gap between women needing to be screened and women actually being screened. A strong grassroots approach within each community could create programs that reach out to combat misconceptions about breast cancer and help to facilitate access to screening services. United Methodist Mexican American Ministries (UMMAM) has provided medical and social programs to thousands of people in Southwest Kansas. A non profit service agency, UMMAM serves people of all races, colors and faiths. All UMMAM programs are designed to improve the lives and health status of individuals and families, thus building a stronger community.

With UMMAM as a partner, Komen Kansas grants provide screening mammography and ultrasounds for women under the age of 50 who are medically underserved. UMMAM also provides breast health education outreach and survivor support programs. UMMAM works with Early Detection Works, another Komen Kansas partner to provide screening services. Through this outreach, Komen Kansas and UMMAM hope to bridge the gap between southwest Kansas women and better breast health.