SMS is proud to share this article from TJC that highlights the mobile mammography services we are providing in Minnesota.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among women in the United States. Mammograms can detect breast cancer in its earliest, most curable stages. Unfortunately, barriers to receiving this potentially life-saving screening, such as limited time and financial resources, and the lack of access to transportation and interpreter services, contribute to the prevalence of breast cancer in the most underserved populations.

HealthPartners’ and Park Nicollet Health Services (PNHS) leadership understands the need to provide mammograms to its patient population. In 2014, PNHS initiated the “Mammo A Go-Go” truck in partnership with the Jane Brattain Breast Center and several community-based organizations. Mammo A Go-Go is a state-of-the-art mobile mammography unit that brings the best breast cancer screening services into the community in a tranquil environment. Mammo A Go-Go travels throughout the Twin Cities metro area and offers mammograms for all women. The mobile unit is offered at 13 Park Nicollet clinics and various community events that serve underserved communities. Screening takes less than 15 minutes and interpreters are onsite to ensure women fully understand the procedure.

Jane Brattain Breast Centers’ Mammo A Go-Go initiative has provided more than 30,000 mammography screenings to women at hundreds of screening events since its inception. They continue to see increased rates of participating sites, patients screened, interpreters used, and positive screens. In 2021, 41% of women seen through the Mammo A Go-Go community outreach program used an interpreter. In 2020, more than 25 cases of breast cancer were diagnosed through the mobile unit. Patients of Mammo A Go-Go enthusiastically recommend it as an easy way to get screened and prevent disease.

Mammo A Go-Go is a testament to the ways in which mobile mammography units can help decrease disparities in screening and mitigate poor breast cancer outcomes for women of color residing in communities with lower socioeconomic status.

Read Full Article HERE

If you are interested in learning more, contact Angela Nelson at angela.nelson1@parknicollet.com