Community Assessment
The mission of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. In fulfilling this mission, Komen for the Cure seeks to follow certain philosophies:
- To be responsive to the needs of the communities we serve
- To be non-duplicative
- To be collaborative
- To be accountable to our donors
An executive summary of the San Diego County community assessment plays an integral part in applying these philosophies to Komen’s presence and work in the Affiliate's service area.
Every other year, the Affiliate conducts a needs assessment within San Diego County. The goal of the assessment is to gather information for the purpose of identifying gaps in services that must be reduced to improve breast health among members of the community and identifying the populations most in need of breast health services.
It also provides direction for the work of our Affiliate: it establishes the need for fundraising, a target for community education programs, priorities for funding grants and a guide for decision-making and strategic planning.
The assessment is a snapshot, or a picture, of the community, specifically looking at breast health and breast cancer. The profile includes:
- Demographics, such as population by age, race, ethnicity, education and income levels
- Breast cancer statistics, such as screening, incidence and mortality rates
- An assessment of current services for breast cancer screening and treatment in our service area
- A survey of the community's beliefs and attitudes about breast cancer through interviews with key informants