| SMHC
publicizes free female wellness exams
Through a grant from the Boise Affiliate Susan G. Komen for the Cure, St. Mary’s Hospital and Clinics is offering 150 free wellness exams and 50 free mammograms for female residents of Idaho County between the ages of 18 and 49. Another grant from the Inland Northwest Community Foundation will help underwrite the cost of cervical cancer screens or pap smears. 
“In order to qualify for the free services the women must be uninsured or underinsured. They must be Idaho County residents and it must be over one year since they’ve had a mammogram or wellness exam,” said Theresa Uptmor, SMH Clinics Manager. “Once the grant funds run out we will not be able to offer them at no cost, so it is really a ‘first come, first serve’ program.” If you or someone you know may qualify for the free exams we encourage you to call our Cottonwood or Kamiah Medical Clinics or the CVHC Kooskia Medical Clinic to schedule an appointment, said Uptmor. Once the appointment is made, the clinic will mail a coupon to the woman to bring to the appointment. The cost of the exam will be billed to the grant. If the health care provider orders additional lab tests or procedures, the patient will be billed, said Uptmor. Twenty six exams have been scheduled since the grant’s announcement. The grant funds not only cover the cost of the exams and mammograms, they also provide for informational materials and an educational component. “We have two public forums planned for April,” said Jeanette Gorman, SMHC Community Relations Coordinator. “Megan Wilson will be presenting at Health Matters public forums in Kamiah on April 8 and in Cottonwood on April 14. She’ll talk about breast cancer and cervical cancer. She’ll discuss the importance of regular pap smears and talk about the Human Papillomavirus and the recent development of a vaccine to protect against HPV.” A breast cancer display will also be circulating during the grant year though the SMH clinics and other public places. To schedule an appointment, the Cottonwood Medical Clinic number is 962-3267, the Kamiah Medical Clinic is 935-2585 and the CVHC Kooskia Medical Clinic is 926-7801. |
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