The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 1 unanimously proclaimed October 2025 as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and heard a short presentation from Coastal Healthcare staff on screening and local resources.

Commissioner Casey Miller read the proclamation, noting national screening guidance and urging residents to schedule mammograms: "15 minutes could save your life," he said while reading the county proclamation. The proclamation recognized breast cancer as a leading cancer among women, noted disparities by race and socioeconomic status, and expressed county support for research and survivor services.

Representatives from Coastal Healthcare summarized national statistics and screening recommendations drawn from the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Coastal Healthcare staff said estimated U.S. new breast cancer cases in 2025 are approximately 316,950 for women and about 20,000 for men, with deaths estimated at about 42,170 for women and 510 for men; they also cited five-year relative survival rates and urged earlier detection.

Coastal Healthcare described its local referral process: primary-care providers place orders for imaging (most commonly with Samaritan Health Services), and patients who are underinsured or uninsured may be eligible for ScreenWise or Samaritan financial assistance. Staff said diagnostic follow-up — such as ultrasound or biopsy — is handled per radiologist recommendations and that positive results are referred to oncology; Coastal Healthcare also provides a community health worker to assist patients with options and referrals.

Commissioner Claire Hall and Commissioner Miller thanked Coastal Healthcare staff for the presentation. The board then moved, seconded and approved the proclamation during the meeting; no new county funding or program changes were announced.

The proclamation and the clinic’s resource information are intended to raise awareness, encourage screening consistent with national guidance and direct residents to local imaging and financial-assistance options.