Mammogram Poster Girls present $50,000 to the MHS Foundation

0
Front row: Emma Siegel, MPG Board member, Sheri Mathis, President, MPG Board, Pam Stoyanoff, President and COO Methodist Healthcare System, Fran Laukaitis, President, Methodist Charlton Medical Center Second row: Charla Gauthier, Director, Cancer Administration, Methodist Dallas Medical Center, Deavon Moore, MPG Board Member Back Row: James Johnston, President, Methodist Health System Foundation, John Phillips, President, Methodist Dallas Medical Center, James Scoggins, CEO Methodist Healthcare System, Dustin Anthamatten, VP of Operations, Methodist Healthcare System, James Mathis, Treasurer, MPG Board

Donation is to provide funding for free mammograms for those in need

On Tuesday, November 21, 2022 the Mammogram Poster Girls (MPG) presented a check for $50,000 to the Methodist Health System Foundation—$25,000 for the Breast Center at Methodist Charlton Medical Center, and $25,000 for the Linda and Mitch Hart Breast Center at Methodist Dallas Medical Center.  These funds will provide mammograms, free of charge, for under/uninsured women.

The November 21st donation follows a $30,000 donation (directed to the Methodist Charlton Breast Center) presented in April.

In addition to these donations, in 2022 the Mammogram Poster Girls directly funded $23,580 for the MPG Two-Fer Tuesday program, which provides mammograms (and a meal), free of charge for under and uninsured women.  The MPG Two-Fer Tuesday program (get a mammogram/get a meal) provided 131 screening mammograms on the Mobile Mammography Unit.  MPG also funding, in the amount of $4,000 to purchase meal gift cards from local, minority and women-owned restaurants throughout the southern and eastern sector of D/FW.

In 2022, the Mammogram Poster Girls have provided funding of over $107,000 in 2022 to help save lives…one mammogram at a time at Methodist Charlton Medical Center, Methodist Dallas Medical Center, and on the Methodist Mobile Mammography Unit.

The Mammogram Poster Girls Inc. was founded in 2018 to raise awareness of, and funds for, the early detection of breast cancer.  MPG raises money for mammograms, and provides programs to remove barriers to access to screening mammograms to under and uninsured women in medically underserved areas.

Sheri Mathis, Founder of the Mammogram Poster Girls, is a two-time breast cancer survivor, and is one of four sisters–all of whom are breast cancer survivors.  The sisters have no genetic links, nor other family history, ALL were all diagnosed following an annual screening mammogram.  They consider themselves the lucky ones—and nicknamed themselves poster girls for mammograms—mammograms saved their lives!

These poster girls’ diagnoses were made early and their outcome(s) have been good…but, each had access and the resources to have those annual, life-saving mammograms. Unfortunately, not everyone is as lucky, which is what inspired (she would say compelled) Mathis to help educate women about the importance of getting screening mammograms, and to provide funding for those unable to afford them.

Thus, in 2018 theMammogram Poster Girls Inc. (MPG)was founded, with a mission to raise awareness of, and funds for, the early detection of breast cancer.  Saving lives…one mammogram at a time.  The strives to remove barriers to access to screening mammograms to under and uninsured women, focusing on medically underserved areas.

From the beginning, MPG has been, and continues to be, an all-volunteer organization lead by an active board of thirteen men and women, several of whom are breast cancer survivors.  The organization focuses their efforts on the southern sector of D/FW, where women are 1.4 times more likely to receive a late-stage breast cancer diagnosis, and 1.2 times more likely to die of breast cancer. (Komen report 2015/2018).  The Poster Girls believe that where you live should not determine if you live.

To date, the Mammogram Poster Girls have provided over 1,100 screening and diagnostic mammograms, free of charge, for under and uninsured women in the D/FW area.  Of those, 27 women have received a confirmed breast cancer diagnosis. Data provided by Methodist Health System, as of Q3 2022.

Mpg currently has developed two programs to provide mammograms, free of charge, for under and uninsured women;   MPG Mammograms at Methodist (Dallas and Charlton), and Two-Fer Tuesdays (get a mammogram, get a meal).  The organization is developing programs to address the needs of uninsured women under the age of 35 at risk of developing breast cancer.  The goal of MPG mammography programs is to remove barriers to access for women throughout the DFW area (i.e., education, cost, and transportation).

The Mammogram Poster Girls raises funds via fundraising events, through Poster Girl Partnerships with local businesses, from corporate sponsorships, via individual giving, and from foundations (including the Dallas Stars Foundation and Hunt Gives).