The Wright Center for Community Health, Commonwealth Health to fund mammograms with grant from local nonprofit

The Wright Center for Community Health and Commonwealth Health will expand access to mammograms throughout the region with up to $50,000 in funding from Clarks Summit Goes Pink, a local nonprofit.

Both The Wright Center and Commonwealth Health were presenting sponsors of Clarks Summit Goes Pink’s inaugural 5K Run, One-Mile Walk, and Community Block Party, on Aug. 15, in downtown Clarks Summit. The grant, which comes from proceeds raised through the community event, will be used to provide mammograms to individuals in Northeast Pennsylvania who lack the financial means to obtain them.

“We are proud to partner with Clarks Summit Goes Pink and Commonwealth Health to help remove financial barriers to breast cancer screenings,” said Kara Seitzinger, the executive director of public affairs and advisor to the president and CEO at The Wright Center. “This grant will expand access to lifesaving early detection services for those in the communities we serve who might otherwise be unable to afford a mammogram.”

Clarks Summit Goes Pink was founded by Colleen Shimko and her husband, Scott Shimko, following Colleen’s breast cancer diagnosis in 2023. The organization is dedicated to raising breast cancer awareness and supporting local people affected by the disease.

On Oct. 16, the third anniversary of her diagnosis, the Shimkos attended The Wright Center’s annual Wonderful Women Breast Cancer Support Group program at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton to announce the grant.

“As someone who knows how critical early detection is, I’m thrilled to announce that we are allocating up to $50,000 for mammograms to help people who otherwise could not afford them,” Colleen Shimko said.

The Wright Center’s clinicians and community health workers will identify patients and others in the community who have a financial need. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force advises screening every two years from ages 40 to 74, while the American Cancer Society recommends annual screenings starting at age 45, with the option to start at 40, transitioning to every one to two years at age 55 for as long as a woman remains in good health. For more information, consult your doctor or call The Wright Center at 570-230-0019 to schedule an appointment.