Whitfield Co. Health Department offers free annual breast exams

DALTON, Ga. (WDEF) — The Whitfield County Health Department held their free annual ‘Breast Cancer Awareness’ clinic Thursday for women aged 19 and older.

The Women’s Clinic has hosted this clinic for several years now.

They hope to raise awareness of breast and cervical cancer resources for women everyday, but especially during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“We don’t just do this today. We do this everyday at Whitfield County Health Department. So we are screening women every single day trying to get women in for screenings: breast and cervical cancer. This is quite a gem of a program that we have here. And breast cancer awareness day is just one of those events that we can use to promote breast and cervical cancer screenings. I just want to encourage women to come out, see if you qualify for our breast cancer and cervical cancer program, and we want to get you scheduled for physicals so we can get you in and get you screened,” RN, Kendra Carter said.

Free screenings and exams were offered Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon.

The Whitfield County Health Department provided free screenings for women who may have noticed breast problems, or if they just wanted a general exam.

“This is funding through the state that will pay for annual physicals, including clinical breast exams, pap smears. People that don’t have insurance, that meet income criteria, this funding can help pay for their annual screenings. And so this event really helps us to promote the program and to get women in and to get them screened for cancer,” Carter said.

The department has a program called the Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (BCCP) which boosts breast and cervical cancer awareness along with screenings.

20-year-old patient, Adrionna Baker, said she attended the clinic because of a recent relative undergoing breast cancer treatments.

“I noticed a knot kind of in my armpit, and my grandma had recently gotten diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. When she went, they were saying that they tried to get it all out. They did, and so that just made me think, ‘Okay, maybe I can catch this early and we can get it all out,'” patient Adrionna Baker said.

Baker wanted to stress the importance of getting annual screenings, even at a young age.

“I’m just grateful that they had the free clinic, because I am uninsured, and this really helped,” Baker added.

The department wants to make note of the next clinic available in Murray County on October 25.

The clinic will be held from 7:30 a.m.  to 3:30 p.m.

For more information on how you can stay informed, visit https://www.nghd.org/nghd-locations-listing/item/dalton-clinic.