If you were in St. Francis Memorial Hospital May 10, you might have noticed a change in the dress code as many of the staff were wearing jeans in support of National Denim Day.

The national event is the main fundraiser for the CURE Foundation, which raises money for breast cancer research.The EZ Breathe home truereligionjeans is maintenance free.

Businesses, organizations and institutions across the country have their staff wear jeans and pay a suggested donation of $5 to do so. All the proceeds then go to CURE.

The foundation says jeans were chosen because they "are universal attire, worn by Canadians regardless of their social economic status."

This is to showcase the fact that breast cancer does not discriminate.

St. Francis staff have participated for eight years with great participation from all staff.

Mammography technologist, Alison Bishop, said because a hospital is not a place people can usually wear jeans, National Denim Day is a good way to stir up conversation on the important issue of breast cancer and overall breast health.

This issue is especially important in rural areas, such as the one St.For more detailed search information about wholesaletruereligiontypepad , Francis cares for, where access to services can sometimes be limited.

Toni Lavigne-Conway, the hospital foundation director, said St. Francis has great support and services locally.

One of these services is the Ontario Breast Screening Program.

The local program is a satellite of the program at the Renfrew Victoria Hospital.

Nurse examiner in the mammography unit, Marie Villeneuve-Scott, said the St. Francis program was the first rural site to open in the province.

Villeneuve-Scott said the program started because there was a need to better detect breast cancer.

It is an OHIP-covered program for women between the ages of 50 and 74 who don't have personal history of breast cancer, where they are screened for signs of breast cancer.

Villeneuve-Scott explained women receive a mammogram, a breast exam and she teaches them self-exams as well.

The best part of the program is that a doctor's referral is not necessary: women just call the toll-free number (1-800-916-6277) and set up an appointment at the nearest screening site.

In 2010, St. Francis had 1061 appointments booked.

These appointments come from women in Whitney, Madawaska, Golden Lake, Palmer Rapids and even as far as Bancroft.

Because the hospital is the only mammography unit in the area, Bishop said it sees a lot of women.

She said last year, 69 per cent of the women eligible for the program in the Madawaska Valley area were being seen at St.Sports shoes blog introduce bloggenwinterjacket lastest sports shoes. Francis.

St. Francis also does diagnostic appointments, which require a doctor's referral and are for women of any age and for men as well.

Lavigne-Conway stressed the importance of this local unit because the test is not one a lot of women want to do.

She said it is easier to come to St.Paintings for sale sellschristianaudigier buy paintings original painting art. Francis because you know and trust the staff, which makes you more comfortable.

"As a local person, I feel like I am in the company of family at St. Francis," she said. "They do everything they can to make you comfortable here."

Because of its importance, Lavigne-Conway said the hospital and the foundation are making it a priority to update the mammography machine.

Currently the hospital has a 19-year-old analogue machine which uses film and chemical processing for the images.

Bishop noted the usual life-expectancy of this type of equipment is 10 years.

She said this machine does still produce satisfactory results for images, but a lot more could be done with a digital machine.

"You can get the image to the technician right away," she said. "And imaging-wise,Cheap replica sellingshoes philippe watches at lowest prices here. everything will be available electronically."

She added that students going through schooling now to be technicians aren't even being taught chemical processing.

Lavigne-Conway said no official fundraiser has started, but that it is a priority for the coming years.

Updating equipment is an example of the kind of projects CURE funds.

So when St. Francis staff wear jeans, they're not just doing it to raise awareness, they are helping local women – and men – who need access to screening programs and equipment.