Gibson Prevention Center, a program of Southeastern Health’s Gibson Cancer Center, offers free or low-cost screenings, education and referral services to eligible women through the North Carolina Breast and Cervical Cancer Control program (BCCCP).
Established in 1991, North Carolina’s BCCCP offers the following services: clinical breast exams, screening mammograms, pap tests and HPV tests, diagnostic procedures (mammograms, ultrasounds, colposcopies, breast and cervical biopsies) and medical consultations.
“This program is a fantastic opportunity to help Southeastern better serve the women of Robeson and Bladen counties by eliminating the barrier of lack of insurance as a reason not to be screened for female cancers,” said Catherine Gaines, SeHealth’s Lead Patient Navigator who is also a physician assistant. “Dr. Samuel Britt, Physician Assistant Windy Christy and myself are excited about the opportunity to find breast and cervical cancers at an early stage, and navigate these women into definitive treatment.”
In order to be eligible for the services offered, North Carolina women must be:
· Uninsured or underinsured
· Undiagnosed of breast or cervical cancer
· Without Medicare Part B or Medicaid
· Between the ages of 40-64 for breast screening services
· Between the ages of 21-64 for cervical screening services
· Have a household income below 250 percent of the federal poverty level
This program highlights the importance that early detection serves as the best protection against breast and cervical cancers. To learn more about local resources available through North Carolina BCCCP, call Gibson Prevention Center at (910) 671-5357.
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