The state of South Dakota is expanding a screening program for breast and cervical cancers, which comes during a period where the state has a shortage of women’s health providers.
The All Women Count program provides no-cost screenings to uninsured or underinsured women.
THe ongoing shortage of OB-GYN care most impacts women in rural areas. All Women Count will have providers in every single county, to reduce travel times.
Sarah Quail is cancer programs director with the state Department of Health. She said a big goal is “making breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services more accessible to South Dakota women.”
One of the requirements to be in the program is a woman’s age, and that has been lowered from 30 to 21. Household income is the other threshold, and All Women Count sets the level at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level.
