Susan G. Komen is restructuring the organization because of the health and economic crisis being experiencing due to COVID-19, officials said Wednesday.
In Texarkana this means canceling this year's Race for the Cure, and closing the office here.
"The National Headquarters of Susan G. Komen has decided to restructure the organization to "One Komen" to ensure that the needs of those served will continue," said Amy Treadway, executive director of Susan G. Komen Arkansas in a news release.
All affiliates across the United States, including the Arkansas Affiliate, will close, becoming a united entity.
" Susan G. Komen is not leaving Arkansas but adapting to meet the current economic realities and updating mission delivery through modern means, such as technology driven telehealth, a centralized helpline, treatment assistance and patient navigation solutions," Treadway said.
All offices of the Komen Arkansas Affiliate will be closing. Texarkana and Jonesboro offices will close July 3. The Little Rock office will remain open remotely through September, then dissolve into One Komen.
Race for the Cure, a popular annul event here, was scheduled for October. Treadway says the plan is for the race and walk to be held in the future - possibly in 2021.
Treadway said that Komen will continue to work with local volunteers for events and funding will still help local people.
"Due to Covid-19 and recent CDC regulations on mass gatherings, Komen Arkansas has made the difficult decision to cancel the events scheduled for fall 2020," Treadway said. "The well-being of all participants, especially survivors and those living with the disease was the number one priority."
Community-based fundraising and engagement will be critical to One Komen's ability to fund and support mission efforts. One Komen envisions having local walks and races with local Arkansas volunteer support.
The re-organization will include changes in mission delivery and operations.
Over the last 26 years, the Arkansas Affiliate of Susan G. Komen has invested $18.5 million to help men and women in our service area (68 Arkansas counties and two Texas counties) who are uninsured, underinsured and without access to quality of care for breast cancer. Komen Arkansas also has invested more than $5.3 million in international research programs to find more effective treatments and ultimately a cure for the disease, officials say.
Komen officials say that in this increasingly interconnected world, it is less important to have a physical location than the ability to meet people where they live and where they access care.
Komen will continue to provide resources through community funds, patient assistance funds, Breast Cancer Helpline (1-877-GO KOMEN or [email protected]), online resources at komen.org, a patient navigation program and a treatment assistance program.
"Regardless of where they are in the country, there will be a number a person can call and someone will help them navigate to find the right person to help them," Treadway said Wednesday.
"The local funding will still continue, it will just be done in a different way," she said.