St. Mary’s Healthcare Awarded $1.1 million from NYS Department of Health to Provide Free Cancer Screenings

AMSTERDAM, N.Y., Feb. 12, 2024—St. Mary’s Healthcare has been awarded $1.1 million from the state Department of Health to provide free cancer screenings to eligible New Yorkers through 2028.

The grant is funded under the DOH Cancer Services Program, which makes no-cost screenings—for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers—available in healthcare settings in every New York State county for uninsured and underinsured individuals ages 40 to 64.

St. Mary’s has led the CSP of Fulton, Montgomery, and Schenectady counties since 2008, with grants renewed every five years. During 2018-2023, the most recent five-year period, St. Mary’s and its 30 regional partners provided 960 free screenings for breast cancer, 205 for cervical cancer and 132 for colorectal cancer. They also provided free follow-up services for 500 patients and detected eight cases of breast cancer.

“These are essential, potentially life-saving services that otherwise might be out of reach for residents in our region,” said Suzanne Hagadorn, program manager, CSP of Fulton, Montgomery and Schenectady counties. “With this critical funding, and the support of our local CSP partners, we are detecting cancers sooner, when treatment is more likely to be effective.”

CSP also includes outreach, education and case management services. Its Medicaid Treatment Program provides full Medicaid coverage for treatment costs for eligible uninsured individuals who are diagnosed with breast, cervical, colorectal or prostate cancer. (CSP does not pay for prostate cancer screening or diagnostic services.)

Free CSP screenings are available from St. Mary’s Healthcare, Nathan Littauer Hospital, Ellis Medicine, Bellevue Woman’s Center and other healthcare partners.

For more information, go to St. Mary’s Cancer Services Program, New York State Cancer Services Program (ny.gov) or call 518-841-3726.