Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center announced that it has received a $15,000 CVS Health Community Grant to expand its Geaux Free tobacco cessation program.
The Community Grants Program was created by CVS Health as part of its commitment to help people achieve their best health by providing financial assistance to the programs that are focused on smoking cessation and prevention. The grant is part of Be The First, CVS Health’s $50 million, five-year initiative to help deliver the nation’s first tobacco-free generation and extend the company’s commitment to help people lead tobacco-free lives.
“The support from CVS Health will help Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center expand on Geaux Free individualized counseling sessions for cancer patients and community members to reduce their tobacco use,” said Renea Duffin, vice president of cancer support and outreach at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center.
Louisiana has one of the highest cancer mortality rates for all cancers and ranks above the national average for both lung cancer incidence and mortality. According to the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts and Figures 2016, lung cancer will be responsible for 2,620 deaths in Louisiana this year.
“Research shows that cancer treatment is more effective when tobacco use is decreased or eliminated. And for people with early-stage lung cancer, their chances of survival are greater if they stop smoking after they’re diagnosed than for people who continue,” continued Duffin. “Our individual counseling program has helped many people break the habit and this grant will enable us to offer this service to more people, possibly saving more lives.”
“As a pharmacy innovations company, we are committed to building healthier communities and we believe that providing smoking cessation programs is one of the most effective ways to help people quit smoking and lead tobacco-free lives, said Eileen Howard Bonne, senior vice president, corporate social responsibility and philanthropy, CVS Health. “We are pleased to support the work that Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center does in the community and we look forward to working with them in fulfilling their program’s mission.”
Mary Bird Perkins was selected to receive a grant through the CVS Health Community Grants 2016 application process. This year, grants were specifically awarded to smoking cessation programs offered in a community setting that are helping people lead tobacco-free lives and are reducing the prevalence of smoking.
Earlier this year, CVS Health announced Be The First, a five-year, $50 million initiative to help deliver the first tobacco-free generation and extend the company’s commitment to helping people lead tobacco-free lives. With support and funding through CVS Health and the CVS Health Foundation, Be The First supports comprehensive education, advocacy, tobacco control, and healthy behavior programming delivered by a group of national partner organizations. For more information about B the First and DVS Health’s broader commitment to tobacco-free living, please visit www.cvshealth.com/be-the-first.