Learning Histories

Women in Touch Update June 2000 The Problem Part 1 of 7 The Plot Part 2 of 7 The Purpose Part 3 of 7 The Program Part 4 of 7 The People Part 5 of 7 The Potholes Part 6 of 7 The Prize Part 7 of 7 Mission and Purpose References Click here to download all parts in one file (Rich-Text format - 51K) E-Mail Questions and Comments

The Problem

The fact is African-Americans are diagnosed with cancer and die from it more often than any other group.⁽¹⁾ The statistics speak for themselves!

Here in St. Joseph County, Indiana, where the Women In Touch (WIT) program was initiated, breast cancer incidence and mortality rates among African-American women were perceived to be higher than the national average. Marti Verfurth, Director of the Memorial Regional Cancer Center at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Indiana, confirmed this fact after reviewing American Cancer Society data and the Cancer Registry of Memorial Hospital of South Bend. The concern about the high incidence and mortality rates were the impetus for developing an African-American breast health awareness program, Women In Touch.