Uninsured women 40 and older in Okaloosa and Walton counties can now receive free breast cancer screenings through a new initiative from Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast, funded by donors to the Sacred Heart Foundation.
- The program recently expanded to remove previous income guidelines that had excluded some patients, closing a gap for women who fell outside the financial class for charity care but still faced cost barriers to preventive screening.
Nearly 24% of adult women in Okaloosa County and almost 23% in Walton County do not have medical insurance, according to figures cited by the hospital. Only about 40% of women over 40 in Okaloosa County and roughly half in Walton County receive the recommended annual mammogram.
“Sacred Heart Foundation is committed to ensuring no woman goes without an essential breast health screening,” said Adrienne Maygarden, president of the Sacred Heart Foundation. “Too often, women, especially mothers and caregivers, put their own health on hold. With more than one-third of women behind on critical appointments like mammograms, the need is real. Thanks to the support of our community, we are helping remove barriers and provide access to potentially lifesaving care.”
The expansion was driven by Regional Imaging Director Gretchen Irwin, according to Lauren Beauchamp, lead mammotech and clinical navigator at Ascension Sacred Heart Women’s Diagnostic Center — Emerald Coast.
- “Just being able to help them and know that we are taking away that cost burden for them is super important, and it just makes me feel good about what I’m doing at my job,” Beauchamp said.
Early detection makes a measurable difference. The American Cancer Society reports a five-year survival rate of 99% when breast cancer is caught early and remains localized. The lifetime risk of breast cancer for women is one in eight, Beauchamp noted, and annual screening after age 40 is recommended to catch subtle changes.
Beauchamp said that while some women prefer ultrasounds, a mammogram is the only method that can detect small calcifications, or microcalcifications, which may be an early indicator of breast cancer. The procedure typically takes about 15 minutes.
“Catching it early makes a big difference,” she said.
Niceville small business owner Jenni Woosley had put off her annual mammogram for a year or two because of high out-of-pocket costs, even while insured. With breast cancer on both sides of her family, the screening was important. After she scheduled the appointment, her insurance company unexpectedly dropped her.
Woosley kept the appointment anyway, but was bracing for the cost when Beauchamp called.
- “I actually received a phone call from Lauren at Sacred Heart, telling me that there was this program,” Woosley said. After answering a few questions, she learned her screening would be fully covered.
“I cannot tell you how happy and relieved I was to get that phone call. It felt like an answered prayer, just such a burden lifted. I think I shared with her on the phone that I was in tears. It was just such a miracle and a blessing,” she said.
Her results were clear. Woosley encouraged other women in similar financial situations not to delay.
“Make the appointment, and talk to someone. Your health matters. It is the most important thing. And for me, I have two small kids. I want to make sure that I’m taking care of myself so that I can also take care of them,” she said.
The free mammogram program is available to women who are 40 or older, uninsured, Florida residents, seeking a preventive screening with no current breast health symptoms, and have seen a primary care doctor within the last two years.
Screenings are conducted at Ascension Sacred Heart Women’s Diagnostic Center — Emerald Coast in Santa Rosa Beach and Ascension Sacred Heart Women’s Diagnostic Center — Watersound Origins.
To schedule, women can call Beauchamp directly at 850-278-3063. More information is available at Ascension.org/SacredHeartMammogram.
