National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program 30th Anniversary Awardee Highlight: SEARHC The SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium reflects on the successes and challenges of cancer screening in the community. Audio Descriptive Text • Sitka: SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. View of a river and mountains. • Mary Dinon, RN, BSN, Women's Health Nurse Case Manager, SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC). • Pam Sloper, RN, Breast and Cervical Cancer Clinical Lead and Nurse Case Manager, SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC). • Mary Dinon speaking. • Multiple views of Prince of Wales Island in Alaska. • Pam Sloper speaking. • Jeannie, a patient, speaking. • Millie, a patient, speaking. • View of Prince of Wales Island in Alaska. • View of an icy path. • Mary Dinon speaking. • Millie preparing food. • Jeannie designing crafts. • Mary Dinon, Pam Sloper, and other staff members in front of the Breast Cancer Detection Center (BCDC) mobile van. • Mary Dinon speaking. • Mary Dinon speaking with Jeannie. • Jeannie speaking. • Mary Dinon speaking with Jeannie. • Millie sitting on her sofa. • Mary Dinon looking at the camera and smiling. • Mary Dinon speaking. • Jeannie with Pam Sloper and Mary Dinon. • Kristine, a patient, with Mary Dinon in her garden. • Kristine with dog. • Kristine speaking. • Millie speaking. • Millie reading a book. • Kristine with Mary Dinon in her garden. • Jeannie with Mary Dinon. • Mary Dinon speaking. • Special thanks: SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) NBCCEDP Team, Breast Cancer Detection Center of Alaska, Awardee (not interviewed), Sara Beaber-Fujioka, Program Coordinator, SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC). This video was produced and shot in accordance with CDC guidelines for the prevention of COVID-19 that were available at the time. The “Enhancing Cancer Program Grantee Capacity through Peer-to-Peer Learning” project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $850,000 with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government. Script [Mary Dinon] My name is Mary Dinon, and I am a nurse case manager for the Breast and Cervical Grant. [Pam Sloper] My name's Pam Sloper. I'm an RN case manager at the SEARHC Haines Health Center. [Mary Dinon] Some of the challenges and barriers to care that happen here on Prince of Wales is travel. Prince of Wales Island in Alaska is the third largest island in the United States. So it's a pretty big area that we serve. [Pam Sloper] Communities that we do provide services for are very rural, very isolated. These communities are not connected by any kind of a road system. [Jeannie] To get from my house to the road, I would have to take a boat, about two miles by water. [Millie] Our services here on the island get pretty iffy at times. Sometimes you can't make the appointments because the path would be too icy. [Mary Dinon] We've not had a mammogram machine in our clinic up until recently. Prior to that, the only way a woman could get a mammogram on the island was through coming to the once a year van. We have had the ferry break down, have reduced services which delayed the mammogram van. We've had the mammogram van break down. So this grant allows women to be able to get the services right here. [Jeannie] Being here and needing medical attention, you do want somebody that really is interested in you as a person. And I found mine in Mary Dinon who is a nurse at the SEARHC clinic. [Millie] I was like to the point of tears when I found out I have cancer. Mary was a great support, gave information all along the way. If I have ever had a question, I contact her. [Mary Dinon] You just heard you have cancer. Let's go back to my office and talk about it. Let's absorb what you were just said. What questions do you have? What can I do for you now? We're in this together. [Kristine] If I wouldn't have had Mary to encourage me to get the mammogram and get the screening, I would have never found out that I had stage one breast cancer. [Millie] It would have been devastating not to have anyone to ask questions and answer them and put my mind at ease. [Mary Dinon] I feel like I know, if not by face, by name, every woman on this island, especially between the age of 30 and 64. I like to think out of the box when it comes to helping women. I don't ever really say that's not in my job description. And so I like to take the person. And as much as they'll allow me to at least get to where they need to be for the care they need.