Saint Francis Medical Center Auxiliary Board voted recently to assist the Missouri Hospital Auxiliary state president Ilena Aslin of Cape Girardeau with her 2008 healthcare project, "Increasing Awareness of Breast Cancer and Assisting Patients and Their Families to Optimum Wellness."

According to Saint Francis Medical Center Auxiliary president Jean Ratliff, "This is a project that touches every family in the Auxiliary, every employee's family, and a large number of our patients and their families. We are excited to put our time and resources to work to help fight this frightening disease."

Ratliff appointed Mary Spell, Auxiliary vice president, to chair the breast cancer project committee. Others who will serve on the committee include Ratliff; Sherron Alexander; Donna Kiel; Vera Koen; Ann Smith; Dorothy King; B.J. Bowman; Mona Nenninger; and Trinka Hileman, RN, BSN.

To increase awareness and education, several activities are planned. In March, a pink table filled with breast cancer books and a pink flower arrangement were the focus of the Auxiliary Book Sale. At the Saint Francis Spring Auxiliary Luncheon in April, Trinka Hileman, RN, BSN, director of Womancare, was the featured guest speaker and "pink" was the order of the day.

Other upcoming activities include Pink Bake Sales in July and October with decorated breast cancer ribbon cookies available.

A pink basket filled with free breast cancer information will be available at the weekly Heart & Health Screenings, Wednesdays, 7-10 am, in the Health and Wellness Center lobby atrium, 150 S. Mount Auburn Road.

"These reminders will hopefully enlighten women and their loved ones to schedule mammograms and do their monthly breast cancer checks," says Ratliff.

The month of May will bring Mother's Day and a vase of pin carnations with a pink ribbon card pampering all female patients in the Medical Center.

The Auxiliary also voted to contribute to the Dig for Life fund, which provides free mammograms to women who otherwise could not afford it.

Ratliff believes this is a project that will bring satisfaction to all Auxiliary members and will continue far past the 2008 stated project time. "This is a wonderful way for us to touch the lives of so many women and their families," she says. "We are proud to be a part of this lifesaving project."

For more information on the Saint Francis Auxiliary, click here.