Breast Cancer Awareness & Brake for Breakfast

On October 2nd, Teton Valley Health employees bundled up in warm clothes and hit Main Street in both Driggs and Victor to support Breast Cancer Awareness with the Brake for Breakfast event. We handed out over 700 bags that contained a yogurt, granola bar, self-exam cards for both breast and testicles, and a mini nail kit. This “goodie” bag is aimed to bring breast health awareness and to encourage individuals to be proactive with their health by doing self-exams and making their necessary mammogram appointments. Passerby’s were excited and happy with many women and men thanking us for taking the time to remind them about this important topic.

In the United States, breast cancer is the most common non-skin cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women. Idaho continues to have one of the lowest mammogram usage rates in the United States, which makes events like this even more important for encouraging local women to schedule annual screenings as soon as possible.

However, breast self-exams save thousands of lives each year, and regular screenings — a combination of mammograms, clinical breast exams, and self-exams — can help catch cancer earlier, when it’s easier to treat.

Teton Valley Health has a breast health support fund which provides free basic mammogram screening to anyone that cannot afford it. In 2018, because of our generous donors, we were able to fund over 20 free mammograms and have provided about that many in 2019.