Oregon's public/private partnership for breast and cervical cancer screening

In times of increasingly dwindling funding, public-private partnerships maximize resources. The shared goal of providing breast cancer screening services to medically underserved women allowed the Oregon Public Health Division's Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (BCCP) to successfully work with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Oregon and Southwest Washington Affiliate (Komen Affiliate) to expand the population that public funds alone could not reach.

BCCP is funded by CDC for breast and cervical cancer screening primarily for women who are age 50 and over. The Komen Affiliate provides money to screen women who are under 50 years old. BCCP receives no State dollars.

Women diagnosed through BCCP qualify for treatment under Oregon's Medicaid program (Oregon Health Plan) so more screenings mean more available treatment. Komen Affiliate grantees conduct outreach on behalf of the BCCP in traditionally underserved areas statewide; this is a critical component of the partnership. The Komen Affiliate's national and regional recognition and partnerships with private organizations gives the BCCP a wider reach into cancer and women's health organizations; advocacy support is mutual.

When BCCP struggled due to funding cuts and changes in administration, the Komen Affiliate provided guidance and resources to strengthen and improve the program. Challenges occur due to diverse program priorities and administrative structures causing different approaches and timelines for reaching goals. The goals of the larger BCCP, including cervical cancer screening objectives, and the hierarchical structure of the State must be considered in conjunction with the goals and structure of the Komen Affiliate.