The decision by the nation's leading breast cancer charity to stop funding breast health screenings at Planned Parenthood health centers should not affect women in the area, said the executive director of the Pittsburgh affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
National Planned Parenthood leaders expressed disappointment on Tuesday that the Komen foundation bowed to what they called "political pressure" from anti-abortion activists to cut off hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants that were used mainly for breast exams.
The decision was made because of a congressional investigation of Planned Parenthood begun by a conservative Republican who was urged to act by anti-abortion groups, a Komen foundation spokeswoman said.
"It's very sad to see an organization put ideology ahead of women's health," said Rebecca Cavanaugh, vice president of public affairs for Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania. "Political pressure pushed them over the edge."
The cutoff results from the charity's newly adopted rules barring grants to organizations that are under investigation by local, state or federal authorities, Komen spokeswoman Leslie Aun said.
"Our greatest desire is for Komen to reconsider this policy and recommit to the partnership on which so many women count," said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Komen funding has provided about 170,000 clinical breast examinations and more than 6,400 mammogram referrals at Planned Parenthood health centers across the country, Richards said.
"We have never funded Planned Parenthood in this area," said Kathy Purcell, the executive director of Komen's Pittsburgh affiliate.
"Each of the 120 affiliates that make up the national organization decide on their own grant funding, so 75 percent of all the money that is raised in the Pittsburgh area stays in the Pittsburgh area, and 25 percent goes to national to fund research."
"Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania has never applied to us for grants," Purcell said. "Our largest grant that we fund is for the mammogram voucher program administered by Adagio Health."
Cavanaugh said it is her understanding that Planned Parenthood did not receive money directly from Komen. She said she believes that the organization obtains the vouchers from Adagio -- which operates medical offices and partners with more than 20 other health care services -- for women needing a mammogram.
The cutoff results from the charity's newly adopted rules barring grants to organizations that are under investigation by local, state or federal authorities, Aun said. According to Komen, this applies to Planned Parenthood because it's the focus of an inquiry started by Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., seeking to determine whether public money was improperly spent on abortions.
"While it is regrettable when changes in priorities and policies affect any of our grantees, such as a long-standing partner like Planned Parenthood, we must continue to evolve to best meet the needs of the women we serve and most fully advance our mission," Aun said.
Planned Parenthood has established a Breast Health Emergency Fund to provide immediate funding to ensure that their health centers can continue to provide screenings and care previously supported by Komen, Cavanaugh said.
Planned Parenthood has been a perennial target of protests, boycotts and funding cutoffs because of its role as the largest provider of abortions in the United States.
Komen has invested more than $1.9 billion in breast cancer research, health services and advocacy since it was founded in 1982. Its Race for the Cure fundraising events have become a global phenomenon.
