Free screenings for women 40 and over available through September 5
The R快播视频H MD Anderson Cancer Center, the 快播视频, and other community partners have coordinated efforts to provide free breast cancer screening mammograms inside the mobile mammogram unit stationed at the Humboldt Park Boathouse, located at 1301 N. Humbolt Dr., on weekdays from August 25 through September 5.
In coordination with the 快播视频, Humboldt Park Health, Equal Hope, Siemens Healthineers and the office of 26th Ward Alderperson Jesse Fuentes, Rush and Siemen鈥檚 breast imaging experts are working in a specially-designed truck outfitted with two private exam rooms and mammography machines.
Women will be able to be screened regardless of health insurance status and breast cancer prevention experts will be onsite to provide additional education and resources. Staff from Equal Hope, formerly known as the Metropolitan Breast Cancer Task Force, will also be on site to help under or uninsured women schedule future free mammograms and other cancer screenings. Only women ages 40 and older are eligible.
Screening mammograms are the best way to detect small, early-stage breast cancers at the time when they are most treatable. Using lower doses of x-rays than needed when making images of bones and other parts of the body, screening mammograms produce images that specially trained clinicians use to spot abnormalities in breast tissue that might be cancerous. Radiologists will review the images within five to seven days and women whose images show an abnormality or other cause for concern will be referred for a diagnostic exam.
鈥淢ammograms can save the lives of women who get them,鈥 said Amina Ahmed, MD, director of the R快播视频H MD Anderson Cancer Center. 鈥淩ush is proud to provide world class cancer detection technology but is equally proud to partner with community organizations working together that address the barriers to keep too many women in Chicago from getting these regular screenings.鈥
The mobile mammogram screenings are just one example of how the 快播视频 has partnered with community health service providers to establish Health Hubs in communities with higher rates of health disparities to provide health-related education and essential programs, resources, services and spaces with the goal of enhancing the overall quality of life of communities citywide.
"The 快播视频 plays an integral role in promoting the importance of health and wellness for children, families and communities throughout the city, and serves as the ideal partner to provide the places and resources to achieve personal physical and mental health goals, and to elevate community wellbeing through vital partnerships," said 快播视频 Superintendent & CEO Carlos Ramirez-Rosa. "Working with Rush MD Anderson Center to bring the mobile mammogram screening to Humboldt Park underscores our commitment to support community wellbeing by offering opportunities to improve health outcomes, and enhancing quality of life."
For Humboldt Park Health, the initiative adds to ongoing efforts to remove the barriers to early cancer detection as underserved communities often face barriers that limit access to preventive screenings. By bringing mammography services directly into the community, the event underscores Humboldt Park Health鈥檚 commitment to improving outcomes, advancing preventive care, and ensuring that lifesaving services are accessible to all women on Chicago鈥檚 West Side.
鈥淎t Humboldt Park Health, we are committed to advancing optimal health for all and expanding access to preventive care in our community. By partnering in this Mobile Mammogram event, we are breaking down barriers to early detection and ensuring that more women, regardless of insurance status, have the opportunity to protect their health and their future" said Jos茅 R. S谩nchez, President & CEO, Humboldt Park Health.
Equal Hope works with hospitals and organizations in Chicago to provide women access to free breast and cervical cancer no matter their insurance status. Co-founded in 2006 as the Metropolitan by Rush鈥檚 current senior vice president for community health equity David Ansell, MD, the organization is housed at Rush and been a national leader in addressing racial disparities in breast cancer care for many years.
鈥淎ccess to lifesaving health care should never depend on a person鈥檚 income, insurance status, or ZIP code. By bringing free mammogram screenings directly into our community, we are breaking down barriers that too often prevent women, especially in neighborhoods like Humboldt Park, from receiving early detection and care. I am proud to partner with Rush, Humboldt Park Health, Equal Hope, and the 快播视频 to ensure that every woman has the opportunity to protect her health and future,鈥 said 26th Ward Alderperson Jesse Fuentes, who has been organizing women to get screened.
Funding for the mobile mammograms and other cancer detections efforts at Rush is provided by the Regenstein Foundation.