A Creative Partnership: Saving Lives with Three Simple Numbers
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Nearly 35% of women over 40 in San Diego didn’t have a mammogram last year. Some didn’t know how vital mammograms are; others didn’t have the income or insurance to get one. If diagnosed early, women have a 90% survival rate. If diagnosed late, that rate decreases to 15%. Women are waiting too long.
A sixty year old woman named Flora had not had a mammogram in more than ten years. She had lost her insurance when she lost her job. Then, she felt a lump in her breast. Flora’s friend told her to call 2-1-1 because they can help people access free exams. Flora dialed those three easy numbers, and a 2-1-1 Representative gave her referrals to a clinic and financial assistance program. That same week Flora set an appointment to get her breast exam.
As a free 24 hour phone line, 2-1-1 San Diego connects callers to community services. 2-1-1 San Diego has established hundreds of partnerships with public and private organizations. Last year, it jumped through its creative ceiling when it partnered with Susan G Komen for the Cure to do something that is literally already saving lives. 2-1-1 San Diego trained staff to ask women calling 2-1-1 if they’ve had their annual mammogram. With an average of18,000 people calling 2-1-1 San Diego each month, and with most callers being women, 2-1-1 San Diego was a natural fit to educate and connect women to breast health information, while also offering referrals to places where they can get food, transportation, childcare, shelter, and more.
Since March 2012, 2-1-1 staff have screened more than 1,500 women each month. By the end of the year 2-1-1 will have asked nearly 20,000 women in the region if they’ve had their annual mammogram. Women face multiple barriers to preventive care. San Diego is home to the second largest population of refugees in the United States and has a significant number of communities with Limited English Proficiency. 2-1-1 San Diego ensures that its Breast Health Specialist is English/Spanish bi-lingual, and it offers free tele-interpreter services in more than 200 languages.
Not long ago, a forty-five year old mother named Angela called 2-1-1’s Spanish language phone line. Angela had a low income and limited insurance that did not cover preventive care. She was looking for financial assistance with getting a mammogram. After much difficulty finding options in her native language, Angela finally learned about 2-1-1 and its ability to use tele-interpreters at no cost to the client. During the phone assessment, the 2-1-1 Representative found that Angela was eligible for a free program specific to women with her demographics. Angela has already received her free clinical breast exam and mammogram. Women who have faced language barriers in the past now have easy access to getting mammograms because of 2-1-1 San Diego’s new partnership with Susan G Komen for the Cure. When two causes align, collaboration can not only make a difference, but it truly can save lives. If you need somewhere to turn, dial 2-1-1 today. You never know how your life could change for the better.
More About This Charity
Region
West
Category
Human Services
Name
2-1-1 San Diego
Mission
2-1-1 San Diego’s mission is to help people by connecting them efficiently to the service delivery system, and by providing vital trend information for community planning.
Impact
- This Achievement raised $50,000
- This charity raised $4,500,000 in the past year
- This Achievement helped 3,000 people
- This charity helped 450,000 people in the past year
- More than 3,000 women were asked if they’ve had a mammogram and educated about getting one
Works In
United States
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