Annual Report 2020 | Page 19

SRUE WAKUK

EFFORTS

TO INCREASE SCREENING AMONG MICRONESIAN WOMEN
In the Micronesian community , women put their family ’ s needs before their own . Many women cannot afford health insurance or medical care , and do not get regular health screenings . This has resulted in the increasingly poor outcomes of breast cancer among Micronesian women .
Srue Wakuk , a community health educator at the UH Cancer Center , knew that she wanted to use her knowledge to help the local Micronesian community while pursuing her undergraduate degree at the University of Hawai ‘ i at Mānoa . Now she is pursuing a master ’ s degree in Public Health with a focus on indigenous health . Under the guidance of Kevin Cassel , DrPH , Wakuk has developed a program for Micronesian women to educate them about the importance of early detection of breast and cervical cancers .
Wakuk partnered with federally-funded clinics on O ‘ ahu , that are Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program sites , to provide breast and cervical cancer screening for low income women who are either uninsured or underinsured . She also recruits women to participate in the Tomosynthesis Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial ( TMIST ), which compares 2D and 3D mammography in the detection of advanced breast cancer and develops ways to personalize breast cancer screening .
Previously , Wakuk engaged Micronesian women at foodbank sites , public housing , and churches , but during the COVID-19 pandemic , she switched to Zoom and Facebook to schedule screening appointments . Wakuk has recruited over 50 women , some who have not had a mammogram in over 20 years . The pandemic has impacted recruitment , as many feared contracting COVID-19 at the clinics . Still , Wakuk continues to find new ways to encourage participation and work towards health equity for the Micronesian community .
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