Community Programs
Located in Washington Heights, Women At Risk is committed to providing the highest quality services and education to underserved and minority women in upper Manhattan. The programs seek to cut through economic, cultural and language barriers faced by women in this community. Many of the following programs are facilitated by a bilingual breast cancer survivor.
Spanish Language Support Group
Co-sponsored by WAR, Columbia University Medical Center's Department of Social Work Services and SHARE, the Spanish language support group meets every two weeks and offers support, comfort, and health care information to Hispanic women undergoing breast cancer treatment. Some meetings include in-language presentations by top medical professionals.
When:Thursdays, 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.Where:
Presbyterian Hospital Building
622 West 168th St.
14th Floor, Conference Room 101
For more information or for dates, please call Lola Ruz-Curry at (212) 305-9894.
Bi-annual Free Screening Days
WAR's bi-annual Free Screening Days in April and October provide mammograms and other cancer screenings free of charge to uninsured women in Washington Heights, Inwood, and Harlem.
This area is home to a large Hispanic population that includes immigrant and first generation women from the Dominican Republic, as well as Puerto Rico, Columbia, Ecuador and Venezuela. By offering these services, WAR combats the financial and cultural barriers that put women at high risk for developing breast cancer and/or inhibit early detection of breast cancer.
An appointment must be made to schedule a screening. For more information, please call Annie Geddes at 212-305-3269.
If you are interested in volunteering at this event, or donating items to be distributed in a gift bag to all women receiving the screenings, please call Annie Geddes at 212-305-3269.
Community Outreach
Studies by the Centers for Disease Control and others have shown that women living below the poverty line are less likely to have mammograms, and that breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic women despite the fact that their incidence rate is lower than for other ethnic populations. WAR provides a range of services to cut through economic, cultural and language barriers and provide information and care to underserved women living in our immediate neighborhood.
WAR's bilingual Community Coordinator carries out a variety of outreach activities which include:
- Facilitating care for Spanish-speaking women at NYP's weekly Breast Clinic, including translating for doctors and patients and providing emotional support
- Informational visits to NewYork-Presbyterian's neighborhood satellite clinics to educate patients about breast health and breast self-examination, as well as presentations at churches, schools and other community sites
- Bi-lingual staffing of the WAR Resource Library
Ambulatory clinics of the hospital that our Community Coordinator visits:
- Audubon Practices
21 Audubon Ave (between 166th and 167th Streets) - Broadway Practice
4781 Broadway (at Dyckman St.) - Charles B. Rangel Community Health Center
534 West 135th St. - Fort Washington Geriatric Practice
99 Fort Washington Avenue (at 163rd Street) - Herman D. Farrell Jr. Community Health Center
610 West 158th St. - Washington Heights Family Health
575 West 181st St.
To make an appointment, please call 866-463-2778.
Contact
- Women at Risk
- Phone: (212) 305-9525
E-mail: info@womenatrisknyc.org
