Nebraska's Every Woman Matters Program Celebrates 35 Years
This October, Nebraska's Every Woman Matters (EWM) Program celebrates 35 years of serving Nebraska women. Over the past three and a half decades, the program has improved access to lifesaving preventive health screenings, growing from breast and cervical cancer screenings to a comprehensive set of services that now includes cardiovascular, diabetes, and colon cancer screenings.
"As we celebrate 35 years of the Every Woman Matters Program, we are reminded of the vital role preventive screenings play in protecting the health of Nebraska women. October also marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, underscoring the importance of early detection and routine mammograms," said Dr. Timothy Tesmer, DHHS Chief Medical Officer. "We are proud of the program's longstanding commitment to expanding access to preventive care, and we remain dedicated to ensuring every Nebraskan has the opportunity to get screened and stay healthy."
From 1991 through 2025, EWM served more than 100,000 women, delivering essential screenings and diagnostic services, including:
288,021 mammograms and cervical cancer screenings.
125,614 screening mammograms and 10,009 diagnostic mammograms.
1,431 women were diagnosed with breast cancer, with 100% receiving treatment.
152,398 cervical cancer screenings.
15,116 cervical diagnostic services.
3,723 women were diagnosed with cervical pre-cancer, and 99 were diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer, with 100% receiving treatment.
The integration of the federally funded WISEWOMAN Program in 2000 further strengthened EWM's cardiovascular efforts, screening more than 34,000 women and earning national recognition for reducing long-term disease risk. Between 2019 and 2025 alone, EWM delivered cardiovascular screenings to 3,773 women, identifying significant risk factors that highlight the continued need for accessible early-detection services. EWM's colon cancer efforts have also proven critical, providing more than 80,000 screening tests since 2005 and ensuring that 1,274 individuals with suspicious findings were connected to timely follow-up care.
Nebraskans can learn more about EWM screening services at https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Every-Woman-Matters.aspx.
To enroll, visit https://bit.ly/EWM-NCP-HLQ or call (800) 532-2227.