Transcript for Hustle & Heat Episode 28
00:04
What’s up, guys, and welcome back to another episode of Hustle & Heat Podcast. My name is George, your host, and welcome to Episode 28.
Today, we’re highlighting a great cause that this fine young lady supports in our community. If you haven’t heard of Dollars for Mammograms, it’s a Florida 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2000. Its mission is to provide no-cost breast cancer detection services, financial assistance for additional diagnosis and post-diagnosis care, and educational support for radiology students.
The organization serves communities including North Port, Venice, Englewood, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, and surrounding areas. It focuses on helping uninsured and underinsured residents obtain potentially life-saving breast health services.
Without further ado, I’d like to welcome Ms. Rita Bertler. Rita, welcome to the podcast.
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01:07
Thank you, George.
Dollars for Mammograms was founded because of my own breast health history. At the time, I realized there were so many women who weren’t being tested, and mammograms save lives.
We serve all of Charlotte County and South Sarasota County up through Nokomis. We provide no-cost breast cancer detection testing, financial assistance for those who need further diagnosis and post-diagnostic care, and scholarships for students studying radiology.
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02:03
You had a history of breast cancer yourself, is that what you’re saying?
Well, George, I was very blessed. My mother was a breast cancer survivor.
In May of 1999, my mammogram showed what could have been either a cyst or a tumor. Doctors weren’t sure. I had to undergo a lumpectomy because they couldn’t determine the diagnosis through ultrasound or diagnostic mammography.
When the results came back, the tumor was benign. However, doctors told me that what was inside it could have eventually developed into breast cancer if it had gone undetected.
Then in October, another lump appeared. I was convinced I was going to follow my mother’s path and be diagnosed with breast cancer. Again, it was benign, but this time I needed a stereotactic biopsy for diagnosis.
When we walked out of the doctor’s office, I told my husband, “I have to do something about this.” A screening mammogram had potentially saved my life.
Shortly after that, there was a third occurrence, and once again it was benign. If I hadn’t been getting screened, things could have turned out very differently.
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04:23
I decided people needed help accessing no-cost testing, especially in an area like ours.
Many people here don’t have access to large employer-sponsored insurance plans. They’re often uninsured or underinsured, and that’s how Dollars for Mammograms was born.
We started small. My husband and I were in the restaurant business at the time, and our customers rallied behind us. Like many good community causes, it grew because people cared.
I found an imaging center willing to work with us. A lawyer donated services to prepare our incorporation documents, and a CPA helped us obtain our 501(c)(3) status.
It took about a year, and suddenly we were ready to go.
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06:32
We started in the Englewood area, but as fundraising increased and donations came in, we expanded our service area one ZIP code at a time.
I was fortunate to speak at Business Professional Women of Port Charlotte. Afterward, a business owner from Punta Gorda asked why we weren’t serving all of Port Charlotte.
I explained that we couldn’t financially support a larger area at the time. We never wanted to expand beyond our ability to help those already relying on us.
She introduced me to a group called the GNOs. They began hosting the Barstool Open fundraiser and supported us for ten years. Because of their efforts, we expanded throughout Charlotte County and eventually into North Port.
That’s how we grew into the large service area we cover today.
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08:00
Over the years, we didn’t just expand geographically. We expanded the services we provide.
When we started, we could only afford screening mammograms. As funding increased, so did our capabilities.
Today, we provide no-cost screening mammograms, diagnostic mammograms, breast ultrasounds, ultrasound-guided biopsies, and breast MRI services.
For procedures that require hospitalization or more complex care, our volunteer board cannot directly manage those services. That’s why we launched our Medical Grant Assistance Program.
This program helps individuals who need additional diagnostic procedures, such as stereotactic biopsies or lumpectomies.
Anyone living in Charlotte County, North Port, Venice, or Nokomis can apply. They don’t have to be previous recipients of our testing program.
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10:24
There’s also post-diagnostic care.
Even people with good insurance often struggle with treatment costs. We’re trying to help bridge that gap.
Our goal is simple: offer help for today and hope for tomorrow.
All of our information is available on our website, including applications for testing and medical grant assistance. I hope this podcast helps spread awareness because we’re here to help.
dollarsformammograms.org
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11:09
That’s awesome. How many people have been helped since the organization was founded?
Approximately 5,000.
Wow. That’s incredible.
Have there been any cases where you’ve had to help someone all the way through the process?
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11:46
What do you mean exactly?
Let’s say someone starts with a mammogram and is diagnosed with breast cancer. Do you continue helping them?
That’s exactly why we launched the Medical Assistance Grant.
For years, people would complete their testing and then ask me, “What do I do now?”
At the time, we didn’t have the resources to help further.
What many people don’t realize is that community clinics provide tremendous services, but they can only serve individuals who meet federal poverty guidelines.
Because Dollars for Mammograms does not receive state or federal funding, we are not restricted by those guidelines.
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13:01
So you can help more people?
Exactly.
What does the application process look like?
Our financial eligibility limit is 400% above the federal poverty level.
That allows us to help what I call the working poor—people who are working hard every day but still can’t afford quality insurance or have deductibles that make care inaccessible.
We recently approved our first Medical Assistance Grant for a young woman who needed 16 radiation treatments after a breast cancer diagnosis.
She had secured a better job and no longer qualified for assistance through a community clinic. However, her insurance deductible was $3,000, and she couldn’t afford it.
We approved her grant so she could receive the radiation treatments she needed.
There are many situations like that.
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16:23
I know many local businesses support your mission. This will be our third year supporting Dollars for Mammograms.
For everyone watching, our fundraiser is October 3rd. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more details.
How important has support from local businesses been to your success?
Without the support of local businesses, churches, Rotary clubs, donors, and community groups, we could not continue our mission.
Every dollar helps us provide no-cost breast cancer detection, financial assistance, and scholarships for radiology students.
The organization grew because the community embraced it.
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17:44
When we first started, we hosted a fundraiser called My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
It was a progressive event. Appetizers were hosted at local banks, dinner was held at our restaurant, and desserts were provided by other local businesses.
Those events helped us raise the funds necessary to expand our services.
Everything began as a grassroots effort.
I still remember looking for our first imaging center. When I explained the idea of free breast cancer detection services, the director asked me what I was smoking because he couldn’t believe it.
Today, Dollars for Mammograms exists because of determination and community support.
It truly takes a village.
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19:17
It really does.
Is there anything local businesses can do to help even more?
One thing that would be wonderful is if businesses placed a link to Dollars for Mammograms on their websites.
If people could click that link and learn about our services, it would help tremendously.
Since COVID, many people have become reluctant to seek preventive care, even when they know they need it.
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20:48
A perfect example is the woman our scholarship is named after: Diana Lynn Puckett.
Diana lived in North Port and worked at Short Stop Printing in Englewood from a young age. She became one of our strongest volunteers.
As a single mother of two, she relied on our program for mammograms when she became eligible for screening.
During COVID, she skipped her mammogram because she was afraid.
The following year, she returned for screening and was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer.
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23:03
We worked tirelessly to help her receive care, but she ultimately did not survive.
She was in her early 50s when she passed away.
Even while battling cancer, Diana continued supporting Dollars for Mammograms whenever she could.
Because of her dedication and the impact she had on our organization, we named our scholarship in her honor.
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23:54
We’ll miss you forever. Rest in peace.
For those of you who are afraid to go to the doctor, I think that story says everything.
What are your biggest goals over the next five years?
Our biggest goal is to continue building the Medical Assistance Grant Program so we can help more people receive treatment and improve their quality of life.
Even when we can’t save a life, we want to provide the best care and support possible.
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24:36
I also want to encourage people to get tested.
Our testing application is only one page. Applicants provide basic contact information, proof of residency, and financial information.
The process is intentionally simple.
Yet many people complete the application, get approved, and never schedule their screening.
I believe fear plays a major role.
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26:06
That’s one reason we made both our testing and medical grant applications so straightforward.
People are proud. Asking for help isn’t easy.
We wanted the process to be as simple and painless as possible because we’re here to offer help for today and hope for tomorrow.
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26:51
Besides the website, are you active on social media?
Absolutely.
We have a Dollars for Mammograms Facebook page, and every event gets posted there.
George, you’ve even appeared there wearing one of our decorated bras.
That’s true. There’s definitely a photo of me out there.
Every event, awareness campaign, and community appearance gets shared. We recently attended an event at the Punta Gorda YMCA, and those photos went online immediately.
We’ve done everything we can to spread awareness through newspapers, social media, and community outreach.
Still, since COVID, participation numbers haven’t returned to where we’d like them to be.
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29:08
So what do you need most right now?
Of course, we always need funding.
But what we really need is for people to use the services available to them.
Doctors have told us this isn’t unique to our organization. Across the board, many people are still avoiding preventive healthcare because of fears that developed during COVID.
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30:30
I hear stories from people who lost loved ones because they didn’t know programs like ours existed.
Early detection matters.
While people can survive Stage 4 breast cancer, treatment becomes far more difficult.
The earlier cancer is detected, the better the outcome.
The same is true for men. Breast cancer survival rates are often lower because men frequently don’t seek help until the disease has progressed to later stages.
Early detection saves lives.
I’m living proof of that.
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31:53
I really admire what you’re doing and the lives you’ve impacted.
I’m looking forward to our fundraiser this year, and I already have some new ideas to help raise even more money.
If you ever want to discuss them, you know I’m always willing to help.
And I know you’ll show up in another crazy costume.
I probably will.
And I’ll put you in one too.
I know you will.
We’ll see you on October 3rd. Thank you for joining us today.
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32:22
Is there any final message you’d like to share?
I want everyone to know that we’re offering help for today and hope for tomorrow.
Please take advantage of our services. We’re here to help you.
Thank you, Rita. I truly admire what you do.
If you’re watching this video, come out on October 3rd at Stubbs BBQ. We’ll have a cornhole tournament, local businesses, raffles, specials, and more.
Ten percent of our proceeds, along with raffle proceeds and donations from participating businesses, will go directly to Dollars for Mammograms.
If you enjoyed this episode, please like, comment, and subscribe.
Thank you.
