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VA Medical Center employees observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The employees at the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain and its community based VA clinics throughout the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin recently observed Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is observed each October. VA employees wore pink on Oct. 18 to honor those women who have died from breast cancer and celebrate the survivors. The medical center’s Women’s Wellness Clinic also sponsored a “pink” booth in the outpatient waiting area promoting awareness of breast cancer and early detection. “As the population of women Veterans grows, the number being treated for breast cancer continues to increase,” said Barbara Robinson, RN, Women Veterans Program Manager. The Iron Mountain-based VA medical center consistently exceeds 90 percent each year in screening female patients ages 50-74 for breast cancer exceeding regional and national averages. “It is very important to us that our women Veterans get screened because when breast cancer is detected in its very early stage chances of a successful treatment are much higher,” said Robinson. Localized breast cancer has a 99 percent survival rate if detected early, and VA leads the nation’s health care systems in providing mammograms to those who need them. The VA medical center and its community VA clinics annually serve over 1,300 women patients with clinically trained, gender specific health care providers. The VA also provides comprehensive VA maternity care and services through local, non-VA providers. “By having trained, gender-specific providers at the medical center and each of our community clinics we can offer our women Veterans comprehensive care in a single visit,” said Robinson. For more photos of employees wearing pink, please visit the Oscar G. Johnson VAMC Facebook page.

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