Project T.E.M.P.L.E

A major focus of the Community Outreach Department is a program called Project T.E.M.P.L.E., that stands for Teaching, Educating, Mentoring, Preventing, Learning, and Empowering.

Project T.E.M.P.L.E. educates African-American women living in Cleveland about breast health and breast cancer screenings, while offering the assistance of a health advocate. The program offers small classes about breast health to women ages 40 and older in targeted underserved neighborhoods. Class topics include risk factors, signs and symptoms of breast cancer, screening guidelines, nutrition and stress reduction.

Class participants are assessed for barriers to health care and offered the services of a health advocate for up to three months. The health advocate seeks to alleviate barriers to care and assists participants in obtaining a mammogram.

More than 2,200 women have participated in community educational programs since the Project T.E.M.P.L.E. began in 2003. Project T.E.M.P.L.E. is funded largely by the Northeast Ohio Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure in collaboration with St. Vincent Charity Hospital, Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health Services, and The Gathering Place.

Body & Soul

The Body & Soul program aims to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among African-American church congregations through four pillars: pastor involvement, church activities that promote healthy eating, church environment that supports healthy eating, and peer counseling.

Representatives from churches are invited to attend a half-day training program where they receive information on how to tailor the Body & Soul program to their congregation/organization. Training topics include tools and handouts for getting started, tips for hosting kick-off celebrations, as well as suggestions for promoting and maintaining the program.

Body & Soul is based on 10 years of successful programs in African American churches across the country and is a national, collaborative initiative of the National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mobile Mammography

The Office of Community Outreach hosts periodic mobile mammography events bringing services to the community. Participating women who are uninsured or need financial assistance are assessed for eligibility in the Ohio Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (BCCP), which may cover the cost of mammography, diagnostic screening and treatment. If they do not quality for BCCP, grant funding from UH MacDonald Women's Hospital may be used to cover the cost of a mammogram and follow-up testing. Patients without a primary care physician are connected with a University Hospitals doctor who serves as the physician of record and will ensure that women with abnormal screening result receive a referral for follow-up care.