Community Partner Spotlight: Sisters Working It Out

Mission

To serve as a catalytic force in the elimination of breast cancer disparities in the Chicagoland area. This is accomplished through programs that educate and empower women of color as well as connect them to quality preventive health services. SWIO provides compassionate care and support to women across the cancer continuum from outreach and screening through survivorship.

President

Beulah Brent is undeniably one of the most passionate, hard-working, results driven individuals in the Chicagoland medical industry today. Being the thirteenth child in a family of sixteen children, caring and nurturing simply come naturally. She earned her B.A in Business Administration from Chicago State University. She began her career as a clerk in the department of Medical Record at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospitals and subsequently moved into many departments’ administrative and supervisory positions. As a result, she was also offered a management position in the department of Radiology/Mammography. These positions were driving forces which fueled her passion for Breast Cancer and Community Health Awareness.

Services Offered

Sisters Thriving Together, CHW Training, Food Insecurity, Thankful Thursday Care Basket giveaway, Day of Beauty, Screening Mammograms Referral and Transportation

Current Projects

Sisters Working It Out’s initiatives to reduce breast cancer disparities and provide the woman support have consisted of the following:

• Trained Community Health Educators who have successfully reached out to more than 3,500 women with information about breast cancer and other women’s health issues.
• Facilitated mammography screening referrals for those women that have not had mammograms in years.
• Assisted women in gaining access to health care and locating a primary care physician.

Organizational impact to the community

For over 22 years, SWIO has worked to reduce many of the barriers that lead to high breast cancer mortality rates for African American women, such as lack of health information, mistrust of providers and health systems, and limited access to breast cancer screening, (e.g., mammograms, clinical breast exams) and primary care.

Funding Sources

Local Health Institutes, Gilead, Pfizer, CCDPH, United Way, Lilly and Fundraising

This spotlight is part of the Healthy City Collaborative, a program within the UIC Office of Community Engagement And Neighborhood Health Partnerships.

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