Special to The Leader

 

The Gift of Life is pleased to announce it has received a grant in the amount of $100,000 from the Episcopal Health Foundation to further the organization’s educational outreach and preventive screenings for breast and prostate cancer and navigation to cancer treatment for medically underserved Southeast Texans in rural communities, where barriers to care reduce access to services and cause latent diagnosis and poor prognosis.

The funding will enhance the deliverance of quality healthcare to the most vulnerable populations in the Gift of Life’s service areas that include Chambers, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson Newton, Orange and Tyler counties.

“The Episcopal Health Foundation award is extremely important to our cause and will advance Gift of Life strategic healthcare initiatives to ‘close the gap’ in medical care for Southeast Texans who cannot afford insurance or high deductibles,” said Executive Director Norma Sampson. “The Gift of Life’s mission is to save lives by making healthcare more accessible and increasing its preventative services to address the most chronic life-threatening diseases through an integrated and comprehensive system delivered with compassion by dedicated program staff, local physicians and medical partners.”

The grant will allow the Gift of Life to expand its healthcare preventive screenings to annually serve more than 2,400 women and 500 men who are financially and medically “at-risk.” Additionally, more than 24,000 Southeast Texans will receive vital program information through outreach presentations, health fairs and events where essential materials are distributed to educate young people and adults on healthy lifestyle behaviors, cancer risks and symptoms associated with the most prevalent diseases.