Contact: Lori Sitler 
Phone: (302) 577-8314 
Date: March 4, 2002 

A.G. BRADY PRESENTS CHECK TO PROVIDE FREE OR LOW COST MAMMOGRAPHY SCREENING

(Wilmington, DE) -- Attorney General M. Jane Brady today presented a check for $8,000 to support the Women’s Health Screenings van, a mobile unit bringing mammography services to women in low income areas statewide. The presentation was held at the screening van at one of its regular service sites at the Baynard Apartments on West 18th Street in Wilmington. 

The funds were received in a settlement of a national legal action brought against the Nine West Group. Delaware, along with 54 other states and U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia, alleged that the business entered into illegal agreements with retailers to fix the retail price of women’s shoes between January 1998 and July 1999. Settlement funds were required by the Court to be used for programs to benefit women and girls. 

The money will be used to cover operating costs to expand the availability of the van in communities where women have not been getting regular mammography screening. Because of this additional funding, the van will be able to add one day per week to its service schedule for the next year. Attorney General Brady said, " I am really pleased to be able to provide this important health service to women who may not be otherwise able to receive it. I believe that this is a good use of the settlement money." 

The Women’s Health Screenings van is a cooperative effort of the Christiana Care Health System, the Delaware Division of Public Health, the Junior Board of Christiana Care, Inc. and Screening for Life. The van travels statewide to a variety of screening sites to offer services to women in their communities. The Manager of Cancer Outreach at Christiana Care, Nora Katurakes, R.N., M.S., O.C.N., who accepted the check on behalf of the Christiana Care Health System stated, "Christiana Care welcomes the opportunity to use these funds toward our effort in assisting women obtain early detection and screening services for cancer." 

Under the terms of the settlement announced last year, Nine West agreed to pay $34 million into a settlement fund. Of this amount, $3.5 million was reserved to pay the states for attorneys fees and investigative costs. The remaining $31.5 million was divided among the states to fund women’s health, educational, vocational and safety programs in each state. 

Nine West allegedly granted discounts to retailers that cooperated with their terms, and withheld discounts or threatened to refuse to take orders from retailers that did not comply. As a result, state and federal authorities allege, consumers were denied a competitive market for certain Nine West shoes, and therefore paid higher prices for them. 

Although Nine West has not admitted liability or wrongdoing, the settlement terms require that it must refrain from such business practices that are designed to control the price at which retailers choose to sell Nine West shoes, and Nine West must notify its retailers that it is their right to independently determine the price at which they wish to sell Nine West products. Nine West Group was purchased in 1999 by Jones Apparel Group, Inc.