In 2013, to meet the requirements for Standard 4.8, St. Luke’s Health System and St. Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute-Twin Falls teamed up with South Central Public Health District to “increase the number of women in Idaho who receive mammograms on a regular basis” through a pilot test of the community-based, one-to-one promotion campaign called Ask Me; a recommended strategy by the Community Preventive Services Task Force. The Ask Me outreach component trained lay volunteers to refer inquiring community members to a referral agency, which provides local mammography services information. Initial efforts were in Twin Falls County. They were able to increase mammograms by 63, or 0.7 percent.

In 2014, the activities of the campaign shifted to Jerome County where they saw great success. Workers in Jerome businesses wore buttons reading, “Ask Me,” and encouraged dialogue among business patrons about the importance of screening mammography.

Below is an excerpt from an email regarding the success of the program. The email was written by Adria Masoner BS, CHES, Health Education Specialist with South Central Public Health District.

The baseline number (mammograms given from July 1, 2012- June 30, 2013) was 634.  The goal was to increase that number by 10 percent, which would be 697.

Number of mammograms given at St. Luke’s Jerome 2013-2014:

• July 1, 2013-Jan 30, 2014: 459
• Feb 1, 2014-Jun 30, 2014: 280
• Total: 739

It’s hard to know what part the Ask Me program played in this increase, but I’d like to think that it helped.

This is a 17 percent increase in mammograms at St Luke’s Jerome over the specified period.

Link to news story: http://www.kmvt.com/fitandwellidaho/Business-Owners-Raising-Awareness-About-Breast-Cancer-282644251.html