The Cookeville Regional Charitable Foundation removing financial barriers for local residents by funding approximately 500 free mammograms annually.
Director John Bell said the Save a Life Pink Ribbon project provides immediate coverage for screening or diagnostic services at the Women’s Center at Cookeville Regional. Bell said the program operates as a local safety net for individuals who lack medical insurance or the financial means to pay.
“If they’re there in the Women’s Center, they need a mammogram, and then cost becomes the barrier, that is removed from them instantly at that point, and they can proceed with that mammogram and we cover the cost through Pink Ribbon,” Bell said.
Bell said the foundation does not require applicants to meet specific demographic or financial eligibility benchmarks to access the funds. There are no bank account checks or application forms required for residents of the Upper Cumberland to qualify for the service.
“We don’t want it to progress to a late-stage situation where it’s more difficult to treat,” Bell said. “Early detection is the absolute best way to find that cancer and to fight it while it’s a little easier to beat in its early stages.”
Bell said the foundation first attempts to screen patients through the Tennessee Breast and Cervical program to utilize state resources. If a patient does not meet the specific eligibility requirements for the state program, the Pink Ribbon fund covers the remaining costs.
“It becomes kind of a the safety net, the local safety net, when there’s no insurance, there’s no financial needs or there’s no other program like Tennessee Breast and Cervical that woman may qualify for,” Bell said.
Bell said the services are available to both men and women, noting that breast cancer is not restricted to one gender. The foundation also maintains a separate Cancer Patient Assistance Fund to help local residents with costs following a diagnosis.
“We’re able to do that through providers here locally in our area with a lot less red tape and maybe a lot more immediate need, without all the hoops and paperwork that might be required by some other groups,” Bell said.
Bell said 100 percent of donations made to the foundation go directly toward patient assistance because the medical center covers all overhead and staff expenses.