The Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic received a grant from Alaska Run for Women to support their breast health outreach, which was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The $40,000 grant is going towards the clinic’s community education and outreach program related to breast health. This is the clinic’s fourteenth year receiving the grant, and the amount is greater than the year before.
The pandemic changed how the clinic did outreach, pivoting from in person to virtual events as well as expanding its online presence on its website and social media.
Community education and outreach coordinator Jane Rohr said they began rebuilding the program with grant funding last year.
“Getting the grant again, was a big step in affirming the work that we did last year,” she said, “and continuing to build those relationships with community members, with community organizations, so we can partner and serve a broader group of folks and do more programming, which is really exciting.
Events the clinic hosted in the past year includes panels on menopause, as well as breast health and imaging options. The clinic also reached many community members through social media and letter campaigns geared towards people impacted by breast health issues. In the past year, the clinic reached more than 2000 people through outreach events.
While the funding goes to outreach and education only, Rohr said this work can connect people with health services.
“That's our goal is providing people with accurate information and access to the information and then also knowing where and how to go and receive care when they need it,” she said
Using other funding, the clinic also increased the number of services offered across the region, including pop up clinics in the central peninsula. Next year, they are working to broaden rural services through events like mobile mammograms.
