Mobile Mammography Provides Screenings to Women in Need - Archived

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For More Information:
Barbara Mackovic, Senior Manager
502.587.4230 or 502.641.5461
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Mobile Mammography Provides Screenings to Women in Need

Louisville, Ky. (September 24, 2014) — One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, but with early detection, the five-year survival rate is more than 80 percent. Mammograms are an important tool in early detection. For women 40 and older who are uninsured, KentuckyOne Health offers programs that provide convenient mammography screenings for those who are eligible.

For more than 20 years, the James Graham Brown Cancer Center’s Mobile Mammography Unit has provided mammograms to women in their community, church, school or place of business. The Mobile Mammography Unit, which performed approximately 3,650 screenings in the past year, uses digital computer aided-detection (CAD) technology to detect early breast cancer.

“Annual mammograms can be the difference between life and death,” said Dr. Dharamvir Jain, medical oncologist at the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, part of KentuckyOne Health.  Dr. Jain is also an associate professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.  “Our Mobile Mammography Unit has the same technology that a doctor’s office does, but we make the screening as easy and fast as possible for women in our community.”

Early detection by mammograms leads to a greater range in treatment options, including less-extensive surgery and the use of chemotherapy with fewer side effects.

As of September 23, 2010, under the Affordable Care Act, all new health insurance plans are required to cover mammography with no co-payment for women ages 40 and older.

Pam Frisk received a screening mammogram from the James Graham Brown Cancer Center’s Mobile Mammography Unit in late 2013. That screening may have saved her life. Doctor’s identified an irregularity in the mammogram and upon further tests, diagnosed Frisk with breast cancer. She is receiving treatment at the James Graham Brown Cancer Center.

"I'm very grateful," Frisk said.  "I'm very grateful because I was able to do something to save my life."

“We do not want uninsured women to be left behind,” said Dr. Jain. “We want all women to receive the screenings they need. It is part of our mission to bring wellness, healing and hope to all.”

 To find out more about eligibility for free screenings and stops for the Mobile Mammography Unit at kentuckyonehealth.org/mobilescreenings.

 

About KentuckyOne Health
KentuckyOne Health was formed when two major Kentucky health care organizations came together in early 2012. KentuckyOne Health combines the Jewish and Catholic heritages of the two former systems – Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare and Saint Joseph Health System. In late 2012, the organization formed a partnership with the University of Louisville Hospital | James Graham Brown Cancer Center.  The nonprofit system is committed to improving the health of Kentuckians by integrating medical research, education, technology and health care services wherever patients receive care. KentuckyOne Health has more than 200 locations including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes and home health agencies across the state of Kentucky and southern Indiana.

 

Mammograms and Breast Cancer Fact Sheet

 

• One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
• When breast cancer is detected early (localized stage), the five-year survival rate is 98 percent.
• The American Cancer Society recommends women 40 and older should have a mammogram every year.
• Women who are younger than 40 and have risk factors for breast cancer should ask their healthcare provider whether they should have mammogram screenings at an earlier age.
• Early detection by mammograms lead to a greater range of treatment option, including less-extensive surgery and the use of chemotherapy with fewer side effects.
• As of September 23, 2010 under the Affordable Care Act, all new health insurance plans are required to cover mammography (with no co-payment) for women ages 40 and older.
• For women who are uninsured, the James Graham Brown Cancer Center’s Mobile Mammography Unit has programs and payment options to make mammograms affordable.