We Care Manatee, Inc. Receives Grant from the Joseph and Sylvia Bloom Unrestricted Fund of the Sarasota County Community Fund
Contact: Victoria Kasdan. Executive Director
941-755-3952 ext. 2 / victoria@wecaremanatee.org
Bradenton, Florida, October 3, 2016—We Care Manatee, Inc. (We Care) is pleased to announce it has received a $2,500 grant from the Joseph and Sylvia Bloom Unrestricted Fund of the Sarasota County Community Fund. These funds will support We Care Manatee’s mission of providing a cost effective, private sector solution to Manatee County’s breast health and wellness needs by connecting eligible, uninsured County residents with breast health services from local physicians.
The grant will assist We Care in offsetting operational and program costs associated with We Care’s breast health and wellness program services. Specifically, the grant will provide immediate-need funding for breast health and wellness diagnostic services, surgical consultations, and patient support services to those with an urgent need or who are at high risk.
We Care offers four unique programs to support eligible uninsured, low income residents of the Manatee County community. We Care’s specialty physician referral program provides access to more than 80 volunteer physician specialists who donate their time and services. The pharmaceutical assistance program offers certain prescription medications with refills at no cost. We Care’s breast health and wellness offering provides preventive and diagnostic mammograms, as well as breast ultrasound, MRI and surgical consultation at no charge. We Care also operates a free primary care clinic, staffed by dedicated employees and volunteer physicians, for diagnosing and managing acute and chronic health care needs.
“This generous support will maintain the great momentum we gathered last year in helping more than 700 patients get needed breast health care and support, and we are grateful for having received it,” said Victoria Kasdan, R.N., MPH We Care Manatee executive director. “It’s estimated that one in eight U.S. women (about 12 percent) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. Prevention, early detection and early treatment are key in the fight against breast cancer so it’s important that all women have access to preventive screening, as well as diagnostic and effective treatment modalities, regardless of their ability to pay. Proceeds from this grant will allow us to continue to offer breast health and wellness services at no cost to low-income, uninsured women in our community.”
About We Care Manatee, Inc.
We Care Manatee, Inc. provides free, quality medical care and referral services to low-income, uninsured adult residents of Manatee County, Florida. Patients receive the critical treatment they need to keep them healthy, out of local emergency rooms, and on the job. Our services are provided by volunteer physicians from the local community. Partnerships with community hospitals, and alliances with other medical facilities, enable us to give our patients the quality care they need, from local providers they trust. We are funded though individual and corporate donations, government and private grants, and in-kind contributions. For more information, visit www.wecaremanatee.org.
