Showing posts with label susan g komen for the cure foundation. Show all posts

03 February 2012

BREAKING: Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation restores partnership 3FEB12

STATEMENT from Planned Parenthood on the komen foundation's decision to restore funding for Planned Parenthood's breast cancer screening program.

Today, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation announced that it will continue to make grant funds for breast health and education available to Planned Parenthood health centers.

It's terrific news, and we are gratified that Planned Parenthood's partnership with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation will continue to make this care available to women in need. We are also grateful for the simply astonishing outpouring of support for women's health this week.

In the past few days, millions of Americans have rededicated themselves to protecting women's health and expanding access to lifesaving breast cancer screenings to every woman. This compassionate outcry of support for those most in need rose above political, ideological, and cultural divides, and will surely be recognized as one of our nation's better moments during a contentious political time. I am so proud and so grateful for each and every person who has contributed to elevating the importance of breast cancer prevention for so many women in need.

Over the last three days, Planned Parenthood Federation of America's Breast Health Fund has received more than $3 million from thousands of people across the country. Every dollar we received for this fund will go directly to breast exams and diagnostic services, as well as breast health outreach and education so that more women can receive this critical care.

Our first priority is to fill any gaps in service in the 19 communities where Komen Foundation grants support Planned Parenthood health centers' breast care programs. The extraordinary generosity will also allow us to help expand Planned Parenthood breast health services nationwide far beyond what we ever thought possible. Planned Parenthood provides nearly 750,000 clinical breast exams each year at health centers across the country, but we know there are hundreds of thousands of women who need these services but still don't have access to them. The Planned Parenthood Breast Health Fund will enable us to reach these women and ensure they have access to affordable, quality clinical breast exams.

In short, this outpouring of public support will lead more women to detect breast cancer earlier, and will save more women's lives.

We are enormously grateful that the Komen Foundation has clarified its grantmaking criteria, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Komen partners, leaders, and volunteers. What these past few days have demonstrated is the deep resolve all Americans share in the fight against cancer, and we are proud to be a leading source for women seeking preventive care.

Thank you for standing with Planned Parenthood, and for being a crucial part of the movement to protect and promote women's health.

Sincerely,

Cecile Richards, President
Planned Parenthood Federation of America

P.S. We've heard so many inspiring and deeply moving stories from Planned Parenthood supporters this week. If you'd like to share your story on women's health, click here.

visit plannedparenthood.org

In Reversal, Komen Reinstates Funding For Planned Parenthood 3FEB12

VICTORY!!!!! A REAL VICTORY FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH CARE!!!!! Thanks to all who supported Planned Parenthood and spoke out demanding social justice and access to free mammograms for poor women across America and for your financial donations to Planned Parenthood to continue this service. From NPR and the the Washington Post......

After days of controversy, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation has said it will reinstate funding for Planned Parenthood.
Earlier this week, the foundation moved to discontinue funding of breast cancer screening by Planned Parenthood. The Associated Press reported the change came because of a new Komen policy forbidding grants to organizations under official investigation.
Founder and CEO Nancy G. Brinker explained the decision and the changes in a statement attributed to her and the group's board. Here's an excerpt (with original emphasis in bold):

"We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives.
The events of this week have been deeply unsettling for our supporters, partners and friends and all of us at Susan G. Komen. We have been distressed at the presumption that the changes made to our funding criteria were done for political reasons or to specifically penalize Planned Parenthood. They were not.
Our original desire was to fulfill our fiduciary duty to our donors by not funding grant applications made by organizations under investigation. We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political. That is what is right and fair.
Our only goal for our granting process is to support women and families in the fight against breast cancer. Amending our criteria will ensure that politics has no place in our grant process. We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities."

Komen revises funding policy

By Sarah Kliff and Lena H. Sun

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Foundation Friday announced it would revise a controversial new policy that barred the organization from funding Planned Parenthood.
The foundation said that Planned Parenthood would now be eligible to apply for grants. It did not, however, address other reasons Komen has cited for why it might choose not to approve such grants.
“Our original desire was to fulfill our fiduciary duty to our donors by not funding grant applications made by organizations under investigation,” a Friday statement said. “ We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political. That is what is right and fair.”
“We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities,” the statement continues.
The statement left some ambiguity, however, because it did not mention a second reason Komen has given for ending Planned Parenthood’s funding: That the group did not provide direct mammogram services, but instead referred patients out to other locations.
On Thursday, Komen President Elizabeth Thompson told reporters that the funding decision was unrelated to the Congressional investigation into whether Planned Parenthood was illegally using federal funds to pay for abortions.
Komen founder Nancy Brinker said the organization wants to support groups that directly provide breast health services, such as mammograms. She noted that Planned Parenthood was providing only mammogram referrals.
Planned Parenthood celebrated the news as a victory.
“We are enormously grateful that the Komen Foundation has clarified its grantmaking criteria, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Komen partners, leaders and volunteers,” said Planne d Parenthood president Cecile Richards in a statement. “What these past few days have demonstrated is the deep resolve all Americans share in the fight against cancer, and we honor those who are at the helm of this battle.”

Susan G. Komen Top Officials Resign As Backlash Gains Steam 2FEB12

MORE on the Planned Parenthood-susan g komen story, it seems those within the susan g komen organization that are actually committed to women's health issues and specifically breast cancer screenings are resigning from the organization in protest of the decision to end funding of Planned Parenthood's breast cancer screening program for the poor. It is inspiring to find out tens of thousands of people who really do value life have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to makeup the lost funding, and Mayor Bloomberg I NYC is very generous with his donation and is to be commended for reprimanding komen for their decision based on politics and concern for women's health.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/02/susan-g-komen_n_1250651.html

Dr. Kathy Plesser, a Manhattan radiologist on the medical advisory board of Susan G. Komen for the Cure's New York chapter, said she plans to resign from her position unless Komen reverses its decision to pull grant money from Planned Parenthood.
"I’m a physician and my interest is women’s health, and I am disturbed by Komen’s decision because I am a very strong advocate for serving under-served women," Plesser told The Huffington Post. "Eliminating this funding will mean there’s no place for these women to go. Where are these women to go to have a mammography? Do they not deserve to have mammography?"
With her decision, Plesser joins Komen's top public health official, Mollie Williams, and the executive director of Komen's Los Angeles County chapter, Deb Anthony, both of whom also resigned in protest.
Susan G. Komen, the nation's largest breast cancer charity, announced on Tuesday that it had adopted a new rule against partnering with organizations that are under investigation, and that it would therefore sever ties with Planned Parenthood, which is currently under investigation in Congress. The groups that prompted that investigation are anti-abortion advocacy organizations that have long criticized Planned Parenthood, primarily a women's health and family planning organization, over the fact that some of its clinics offer abortions.
Komen has faced an increasing amount of pressure from the public, women's health groups, lawmakers and even some of its own regional affiliates to reverse the decision and continue its five-year partnership with Planned Parenthood. The $600,000 that Komen donated annually to the organization provided underserved women with free and low-cost breast exams.
Planned Parenthood announced Wednesday that it had received $400,000 in donations in the 24 hours following Komen's announcement. In addition, New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg said on Thursday that he would give $250,000 to Planned Parenthood to help make up for the loss.
“Politics have no place in health care,” he said in a statement. “Breast cancer screening saves lives and hundreds of thousands of women rely on Planned Parenthood for access to care. We should be helping women access that care, not placing barriers in their way."
A spokesperson for Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) said that he personally called Komen founder Nancy Brinker to complain when he heard the news on Tuesday, and he and 22 other members of the House of Representatives have signed onto a letter asking her to reverse her decision.
"This is an alarming development resulting from political pressure from anti-women’s health organizations," the letter says. "We ask – in the strongest possible terms – that Susan G. Komen reconsider its decision, as the health of millions of brave women everywhere demands the same kind of bravery exhibited the Komen Foundation."
A similar letter was signed by two dozen senators.
Komen maintains that pressure from anti-abortion groups and the recent hiring of vice president Karen Handel, who ran for governor of Georgia on an anti-Planned Parenthood platform as a Republican in 2010, had nothing to do with the decision. Founder Nancy Brinker went on the defensive Thursday during an appearance on MSNBC, saying that the decision was a result of a number of congressional and state investigations into Planned Parenthood, and that most people actually applauded the decision to defund the family planning provider.
"All I can tell you is that the responses we're getting are very, very favorable," she told host Andrea Mitchell. "People who have bothered to read the material, who have bothered to understand the issues-- again, we work for a mission every day of our lives."
Honda, whose chief of staff is a breast cancer survivor, said he is concerned that Komen's decision will set a precedent, in which any politician can simply open an investigation into a group they disagree with now in order to jeopardize that group's funding.
"We know that breast cancer does not discriminate, nor should our support to vanquish the disease," he said.

02 February 2012

PLANNED PARENTHOOD AND THE SUSAN G KOMEN FOUNDATION FOR THE CURE 2FEB12

I just can't believe the susan g komen for the cure foundation caved to pressure from "religious" right wing extremist and cut funding to Planned Parenthood for BREAST CANCER SCREENINGS for women who can't otherwise afford them!!!! Shame on them for putting politics before the health care interest of poor women! If you are disgusted too please sign this letter of support for Planned Parenthood AND make a donation (I did both) to support their work by clicking the links below......

We are overwhelmed by your amazing support since yesterday's announcement that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation will stop funding breast cancer screening at Planned Parenthood health centers. Thank you.

Among the outpouring of support was this letter written by a longtime activist. We couldn't have said it better. If you agree, sign on and share it:

This is for all the anti-choice, anti-women people out there.

Listen up.

You can spend every minute of every day trying to force the rest of us to live by your ideology. You can go after federal funds for health care and pressure private organizations like the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation to stop funding breast cancer screenings for poor women. You can try to make it impossible to get birth control.

But you know what you can't do? You can't win. You can't break us. Planned Parenthood isn't just a family of organizations. It's a movement. It's women and men of all ages who believe that health care — including reproductive health care — is a basic human right. We are millions strong. We are everywhere. We act, we give, and we do whatever it takes to make sure that Planned Parenthood is there for the women, men, and teens who rely on them.

Know this: When you go after Planned Parenthood and the people they serve, you go after ME. I stand with Planned Parenthood. I stand with them against anyone who wants to stop women from receiving the health care they need. I stand with them today, tomorrow, and for as long as I need to.

To add your name, click here. And, please, spread it far and wide.

I am deeply touched and quite honestly amazed at the support that has poured in from women across the country. And I have to say — I signed that open letter with pride, because it captures exactly how I feel. It doesn't matter what the anti-choice, anti-women's health forces out there do. As parents, we tell our kids not to give in to bullies — and we shouldn't, either. I promise you that we won't, no matter what.

Thank you, as always. Your help means the world to us, and to the people we serve.