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- [Narrator] In so many ways,
our communities depend on women.
They are our caregivers, leaders, dreamers.
We can't live without them,
and they can't live without the healthcare
they need to stay well.
That's why the Sage Cancer Screening Program was created,
to give all Minnesota women access
to medical services that can keep them healthy.
Launched nearly 30 years ago,
as part of the National Breast
& Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program,
Sage offers cancer screening, diagnosis,
and treatment referral to low-income,
uninsured and under-insured women statewide.
And Sage helps even women
who aren't eligible for the screening services.
Its patient navigators help all women
connect with the care they need.
Every state has a program like Sage,
all funded by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention,
and in the last three decades,
they've worked wonders.
They've screened millions of women
and diagnosed tens of thousands
of cancers and pre-cancers.
Minnesota is a big player in that success story.
First launched in 1991
at two Twin Cities clinics,
Sage has grown into a network
of hundreds of partner clinics,
serving women statewide,
and we're still growing.
[Alyssa Palmer]- Our clinic has worked with Sage for years.
Together we've screened thousands of women for cancer,
many of whom couldn't afford it otherwise.
Sage has helped us improve our entire care system.
It's a program that actually helps keep women alive.
[Narrator]- This is what Sage is all about.
It's a simple and brilliant effort
to detect cancer early and save lives.
Look at the toll breast cancer takes.
One in eight women
will develop the disease in her lifetime.
Across the U.S., more than a quarter million women
are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.
In Minnesota, the number is nearly 5,000.
Breast cancer is the second-leading cause
of cancer deaths among women.
It claims more than 42,000 lives nationwide each year,
and in Minnesota, about 600 lives a year.
But, there's great news.
These numbers aren't inevitable.
In fact, breast cancer mortality rates
have declined a lot in recent decades.
Some researchers say as many
as 600,000 breast cancer deaths
have been averted since 1989.
Fewer deaths,
why the drop?
Give credit to the very strategies
the Sage program promotes,
regular screening to take advantage
of swifter and treatment.
The key is early detection.
It saves lives.
Many lives saved, but still too many lives lost.
Breast cancer, it turns out,
isn't an equal opportunity killer.
Black and American Indian women
have a higher mortality rate
than non-Hispanic white women.
Sometimes race determines whether women live or die.
Minnesota statistics tell the same story.
These days, fewer women are being
diagnosed with cervical cancer.
These days, fewer women are dying of it.
But, just as with breast cancer,
not all women are sharing equally
in this good news.
Black and Hispanic women, for instance,
are more likely to be diagnosed with
and die from cervical cancer,
and women without health insurance
are more likely than their insured counterparts
to be diagnosed with late-stage cervical cancer.
What explains this health disparity.
It's fairly straightforward.
Women are more likely to get sick
when they lack the help
they need to stay healthy.
Without good health insurance,
without money, without social supports,
mammograms and pap tests might be out of reach.
Sage seeks to bring the life-saving promise
of early detection to all underserved women,
and the program does much more than cover screenings.
These days, it also helps clinics
fine-tune their care and outreach systems,
so they can help even more women.
The program helps translate the theory
of health equity into practice
by implementing proven, game-changing innovations.
[Alyssa Palmer]- Partnering with Sage has been great for our clinic.
Recently, Sage has even helped us implement
evidence-based interventions, EBIs for short,
to improve our care system and patient outcomes.
We've adopted all kinds of EBIs,
community outreach, patient and provider reminders,
patient transportation, language assistance,
and each little change helps our clinic
run more smoothly, so that we can connect
more patients to the care that they need.
All sorts of women walk through our clinic doors.
Some have symptoms they've worried about for months.
Many are concerned about bills
that they will face after a test.
Some have waited years since their last exam,
and some have never even been tested.
Together with Sage, we provide thoughtful care
to each patient, one at a time.
Even as we find new ways to serve
an entire population all at once.
[Narrator]- This is the Sage program story.
In 30 years, we've built
an amazing network of partner clinics,
helping to keep women healthy.
By working together to implement
the latest evidence-based strategies,
we're moving toward the day
when all women's lives will be equally valued,
when all women can be healthy and thrive.
Will you join us?
We'd love to have you.
If your clinic has already
signed on as a Sage partner,
we're here to give you a warm welcome.
To learn how to work with us,
see the other video modules in this series.
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