See, Test & Treat Saves Women's Lives
Becky Osgood, MD with some of the many volunteers at See, Test & Treat.
On Saturday, March 3, Cambridge Health Alliance hosted See, Test & Treat, a program that provides free health screenings for uninsured and underinsured women. Over 100 volunteers from CHA provided breast exams, mammograms, HPV testing and more.
CHA Women's Health checked in 53 patients, most of whom had no insurance and others had such limited insurance it created a barrier for them to receive care. "The most important piece of all of the free care that we provided is that it possibly saved several women’s lives," said Rebecca Osgood, MD, chief of pathology. "Reaching these women is the reason everyone put a herculean effort into organizing this event. I can’t thank everyone enough for all they did to make See, Test & Treat run smoothly."
In addition to the screenings, the day was filled with activities such as mindfulness guidance and Reiki to provide support for women waiting for their results. Many women brought their families filling up the childcare area with 15 children. They received all kinds of health information at the health fair.
The patients genuinely expressed their appreciation with statements like, "It was a great event. I had so much fun and learned a lot. People were super friendly." Another attendee added, "The providers were very competent and compassionate. The women in the health and mindfulness group were great."
CHA hopes to continue the program next year!
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