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As part of the daylong women's
health fair in the Capitol rotunda, representatives from the
governor's office, the Illinois Department of Public Health, members
of the General Assembly and the Conference of Women Legislators
celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Illinois Breast and Cervical
Cancer Program. The program provided nearly 19,000 women with free
screenings in fiscal 2004 and has served a total of 57,000 women
since its inception. The Illinois Department of Public Health's
Office of Women's Health contracts with 26 lead agencies that work
with 2,100 providers to offer free mammograms, breast exams, Pap
tests and pelvic exams to low-income women between the ages of 35-64
who have no health insurance. During the noon ceremony all 26 lead
agencies were presented with an award for their efforts.
Pamila Schmidt of Logan County is a
breast cancer survivor who credits the Illinois Breast and Cervical
Cancer Program for saving her life. Schmidt gave her personal
testimony at the May 12 event.
Louanner Peters, the governor's
deputy chief of staff for social services, spoke at the event to
discuss the administration's commitment to addressing women's health
issues.
"Women's health is indeed one of the
governor's top priorities," Peters said. "He has demonstrated his
support for programs and services that address everything from
breast and cervical cancer to cardiovascular disease and
osteoporosis. The governor has also made significant changes in
contraceptive coverage. Last year, he signed legislation to require
private insurance to cover birth control, and this year he launched
a major awareness campaign to inform women that private insurance
plans that cover outpatient drugs or services are now required to
cover all FDA-approved contraceptive services and prescriptions."
Since taking office, Gov.
Blagojevich has proven women's health is a priority by adding an
additional $4 million in state funding to support breast and
cervical cancer screening and education. The administration's
support for community and faith-based groups such as the Stand
Against Cancer Initiative resulted in 7,500 screenings. Stand
Against Cancer works to target the hardest-to-reach minority women
throughout the state by partnering with neighborhood organizations,
churches and federally qualified health centers. In fiscal 2005, the
total amount of funds supporting breast and cervical cancer programs
in Illinois is $11.45 million, including $6.15 million in state
dollars. Over the last two years, investments toward breast and
cervical cancer screening and education programs in the state total
more than $21 million.
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Gov. Blagojevich also signed
legislation in December creating a 12-member Cervical Cancer
Elimination Task Force to help educate the public about cervical
cancer and develop a statewide comprehensive prevention and control
plan.
Illinois is one of only 15 states in
the country to have an Office of Women's Health under the Illinois
Department of Public Health to address health issues specifically
affecting women.
"We are proud to have an Office of
Women's Health," said Dr. Eric E. Whitaker, state public health
director. "We are able to educate women about a variety of diseases
that affect them, provide cancer screenings and implement programs
throughout the state to improve the health and well-being of women
in this state."
Women legislators in the Illinois
General Assembly continue to pass groundbreaking legislation, from
insurance coverage of mammograms to cervical cancer awareness and
screenings to greater protection from domestic abuse. The co-chairs
of the Conference of Women Legislators -- Rep. Patricia Bellock,
R-Hinsdale, and Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson, D-Crete --
spoke at the May 12 event, detailing women's health legislation.
Halvorson is an active advocate for cervical cancer awareness and
screenings.
"While this disease is the
seventh-leading type of cancer in women and the eighth-leading cause
of cancer deaths in women, the disease is curable when caught
early," Halvorson said. "I encourage women to not only undergo
annual screenings through a Pap test but to also get tested for HPV,
a group of viruses that are the leading culprit of cervical cancer."
For more information on women's
health and programs offered through the Illinois Department of
Public Health, visit
www.idph.state.il.us or call the
Women's Health-Line at (888) 522-1282 or, for hearing-impaired use
only, TTY (800) 547-0466.
[News release from the governor's office]
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