Powell River’s PAPTOBER event a big success!
On October 30, Powell River Women’s Health Network, a United Way program, in partnership with local physicians, nurses and Public Health, organized an Evening Cervical Cancer & Clinical Breast Exam night. Lead organizers were Dr. Susan Horsfall and Wendy Nouwens, Public Health Nurse. The goal of this event was to reduce barriers for women in the community to access cervical cancer (Pap) screening, clinical breast exams and sexually transmitted infection testing.
- 34 women were screened for cervical cancer through a Pap exam and 31 women had clinical breast exams. 44% of women who attended did not have a family Doctor (16).
- 5 local female physicians and 1 RN from Texada provided Pap tests and clinical breast exams along with the support of volunteers from the PR Women’s Health Network, a local GP, PHNs and many more).
Outcome
- Given the demand for this model of a Women’s Health night with female practitioners, another physician and RN joined the event to allow more women to attend.
- Women were offered a list of Physicians seeing clients without a doctor, as well as information on the Screening Mammography Program and other health resources such as information on the HPV vaccine, tobacco cessation and breast self examination..
- Feedback from participants was this served a need in the community. Participants expressed they felt more comfortable having a female physician and would have avoided a pap or breast exam if this clinic was not offered.
- Several of the physicians felt there was such a need and recommended having this clinic bi-annually during the current Physician shortage in PowellRiver.