CHA Hosts See, Test & Treat to Provide Free Women's Cancer Screenings
130 CHA Volunteers Offer Health Services to 60 Women and Gender-Diverse People
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — On Friday, October 22, Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), a community health system serving Cambridge, Somerville and Boston's metro-north communities, hosted See, Test & Treat, a program that provides free health screenings for uninsured and underinsured women. CHA was selected for the fourth year by the College of American Pathologists Foundation (CAP) to offer this day of free health services for women and gender-diverse people.
Sixty patients were treated by 130 CHA volunteers who provided free pelvic and clinical breast exams, a Pap test and an HPV test with same-day results, as well as a screening mammogram with same day or prompt results. In addition to women's health screenings, participants received free flu shots and COVID vaccines, as well as oral health and skin screenings. Participants received counseling and assistance with insurance registration to allow them to obtain future health services on a regular basis. CHA hosted a health fair as part of the event, and patients were provided with a free meal from Redbones' food truck, transportation or free parking, and gift bags.
For people without insurance or adequate coverage, getting regular breast and pelvic exams is often impossible. See, Test & Treat helps women and gender-diverse people who are not covered get these important tests done all in one day, sometimes detecting early cancers and saving lives. "These tests sometimes identify cancers, allowing us to get people connected to the care they need," said Rebecca Osgood, MD, CHA's chief of pathology. "No one in this era of advanced medical diagnostics deserves to die of a preventable cancer."