Mayor John DeStefano, Jr.

The City of New Haven offered free mammograms to all its employees (or their spouses) 35 years of age or older during an all-day promotion this past spring, an initiative strongly supported by Mayor John DeStefano. The mammograms were provided through the services of Stamford Health Systems - Mobile Medical Services of Stamford Hospital.

Efforts were made to encourage employees to participate in the breast cancer screening. These included the distribution of a flier advertising the screening to all city employees with their paychecks (approximately 5,000 individuals).

Mayor DeStefano gave special support to the effort by allowing employees to obtain mammograms during work time. The screening, moreover, was held at City Hall, which is accessible to most city employees.

Plans for a Breast Cancer Coalition for Outreach

Currently, the health department is developing plans to form a breast cancer coalition with area hospitals and breast cancer experts. Additional activities include:

• working on identifying outreach
  strategies for breast cancer awareness, specifically targeting high risk groups (poor women, the elderly, women without a consistent source of health care, African American women);
• scheduling additional screening;
• collaborating with local health care providers; and
• planning information events.

The envisioned coalition plus the current activities all contribute to the health department’s motto:

"Your Health is our Community’s Wealth"

Contact: William P. Quinn, Director of Health, New Haven Department of Health, 203/946-6999.

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The United States Conference of Mayors

J. Thomas Cochran, Executive Director
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