St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center

St. Joseph’s has a long history of serving the poor and underserved, maintaining the belief that quality healthcare should not be limited to the financially privileged. Thus, the hospital’s Women’s Health Division established a breast cancer screening program 27 years ago for the sole purpose of offering free screening to women-in-need. Women are provided clinical exams and diagnostics as needed and, if warranted, they are guided to a partnering facility for follow-up care. As the city of Phoenix continues to grow faster than most any other metropolitan area in the United States, and recognizing that our community has a high population of low-income and uninsured families, St. Joseph’s leaders believe this program to be critical to the health of women of all ages–especially when one considers the fact that breast cancer is highly treatable (even curable) if caught in its earliest stages. In addition, as our community continues to return to a sense of normalcy after the pandemic, a time in which thousands of individuals have lost jobs and insurance coverage, we recognize charitable programs such as this one are more critical than ever to maintain the health of our community. The current economic crisis, in which the cost of living has skyrocketed, is burdening families like never before. Women, especially those who live in a low-income family or who may be the sole providers of their families, are most likely to forgo medical care for themselves. Our programs of care encourage women to receive these much needed medical services!

“St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center has always been focused on filling the gap for people-in-need to receive medical services. In our current climate, we are focused–more than ever–on striving to achieve health equity for our community. The Women’s Wellness Center is a prime example of how our hospital can serve our community and provide the care that patients need, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity and ability to pay. We are proud to provide excellent care to these women-in-need!” — Gabrielle FInley-Hazle, St. Joseph’s President and CEO