HealthNow New York foundation seeks to raise awareness about ovarian cancer

HealthNow New York foundation seeks to raise awareness about ovarian cancer



The Business Review (Albany) - 1:42 PM EST Thursday, February 15, 2007



The Foundation for Healthy Living, the charitable arm of insurer HealthNow New York, is embarking on a $137,300 campaign to educate people in seven New York counties about ovarian cancer.



The foundation received a three year grant of $59,700 from the New York State Department of Health to develop and implement the program in the Adirondack counties of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Saratoga, Warren and Washington. It is putting $77,610 of its own money toward the project.



Six of the seven counties are known to have higher rates of ovarian cancer than the rest of the state, and four have higher rates of death from the disease. It is not known what accounts for this, but most of the region is rural with limited medical resources. The nearest gynecological oncologists are in Albany, a distance of 45 to 300 miles.



The foundation will put together an advisory council of community members who have either been affected by, or have had a love one affected by ovarian cancer. It will work with a media expert and the medical community to develop messages to encourage women who are at risk for ovarian cancer, or who are showing symptoms of the disease, to seek appropriate medical care.



HealthNow New York, of Buffalo, is parent to insurer Blue Shield of Northeastern New York in Latham.



Claire Qu, MSProgram SpecialistOvarian Cancer ProgramCancer Support and Survivorship InitiativesNYSDOH Bureau of Chronic Disease Services

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