Our Community Need

The Southern Nevada Affiliate conducts a biannual community needs assessment that helps guide our work and establishes goals for granting priorities, education needs, public policy efforts, and strategic operations. This Community Profile identifies service gaps, barriers, and community needs and ensures that our local investments will be effective and impactful. This year, the Affiliate funded $675,000 in local breast health programs for the uninsured and underserved in Las Vegas and surrounding areas, while providing more than $200,000 to breast cancer research. However, despite this impressive investment, we are unable to fulfill all of the requests for breast cancer-related assistance in our community.
 
As economic conditions have declined in recent years, Nevada residents have been disproportionately affected by some of the highest rates in the nation for unemployment, housing foreclosures, state deficits, and decreased tourism and spending. As a result, Komen Southern Nevada has witnessed an increase in hardship from those who have lost jobs, homes, transportation, and health insurance. In fact, one in five Nevadan women age 19-64 is uninsured. We have experienced an increase in calls for breast cancer screening and treatment services from the uninsured and an increase in requests for financial assistance with medical bills and living expenses from breast cancer patients and survivors. Please download our Community Profile Report for more information.
 
The Southern Nevada Affiliate funded $675,000 in community grants in 2010, although funding requests exceeded $1.5 million. These grants will provide screening and diagnostic exams to more than 1,000 uninsured women, treatment funds of last-resort for at least 15 women, financial and psychosocial services for an additional 500 women and family members, and a variety of educational outreach efforts. The Affiliate will continue to invest in breast cancer screening, diagnostic services, life-saving treatment and support programs for the uninsured and underserved in our six county service area in 2011.