|
YORK, Pa. (OCT. 4, 2021) – WellSpan Health today announces an
effort to increase access to important breast cancer screenings in rural and
underserved communities all across South Central Pennsylvania with
state-of-the-art services in its new mobile mammography motor coach.
Mammograms provide a low-dose x-ray of the breast and can help find breast
cancer at an early stage when treatment is most effective.
“WellSpan
Health is committed to making access to important health screenings
easier. In this case, we bring the mammogram service right to the
communities we serve,” said Roxanna Gapstur Ph.D., R.N., president and chief
executive officer, WellSpan Health. “We know there is a need for these types
of services to be extended to all corners of our region, and we’re proud to
provide a potentially life-saving mammogram screening to women across South
Central Pennsylvania.”
On Friday Oct.
1, WellSpan Health took the mobile mammography motor coach to Delta, in York
County and provided 15 mammograms to community members that may otherwise not
have local options for such preventative care.
WellSpan’s
dedicated team on the motor coach can complete each private screening in less
than 15 minutes. Team members have undergone extensive training to utilize
the advanced 3-dimensional mammography technology that allows for a clearer
images of breast masses, making it easier to detect breast cancer.
“Preventative
care can help early diagnosis of breast cancer and often leads to better
outcomes with more treatment options,” said Dr. Carlos Roberts, vice
president, chief medical officer, Women & Children Service Line, WellSpan
Health.
According to
the CDC, in the U.S. 255,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women
each year and about 42,000 die annually from the disease. The biggest risk
factors include age and family history. The American Cancer Society
recommends women start getting mammograms at the age of 40. However,
depending on family history and genetic risk, physicians may recommend
mammograms at an earlier age for some women. No referral is required for a
screening mammogram and every woman over age 40 is eligible for one.
“Affordability
should never be a barrier to the care someone needs and WellSpan has programs
and resources to help women who are uninsured with this service,” said Dianne
Moore, vice president of operations, Women & Children Service Line,
WellSpan Health. “It’s part of our promise to improve the health of our
communities, one person at a time.”
The mobile
mammography motor coach will visit rural and underserved communities all
across WellSpan’s service region, including Adams, Cumberland, Franklin,
Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties.
Additional
locations are actively being planned as well as visits to health fairs and
community events to increase awareness of the importance of preventative
care. For more information and to schedule an appointment, visit www.WellSpan.org/GoMammo.
|
