CVMC Debuts New Mobile Mammography With 3D Technology

HICKORY, NC – AUGUST 29, 2017 – Catawba Valley Medical Center’s New Mobile Mammography unit will roll onto the road today to take advanced breast cancer screenings and awareness to patients in the five counties it serves in Western North Carolina. The new diagnostic center on wheels is equipped with both 2D and 3D imaging technology and is the first such unit available in the area.

The bright pink mobile unit will provide approximately 4,000 mammograms annually at more than 50 area businesses, community events, and various other locations. Its first stop will be at Catawba Family Care Center in downtown Hickory on Wednesday. The new unit continues a 20-year tradition of serving women in Catawba, Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Lincoln counties.

“We are excited to help make a greater difference in the fight against breast cancer by offering advanced 3D technology that is proven to be more accurate in detecting breast cancer particularly in those with dense breast tissue,” says Honey Estrada, Coordinator of CVMC Health First Center and Mobile Wellness. “We often hear how hard it is for busy, working women to find time for medical appointments and the mobile breast center offers convenience and privacy without sacrificing the level of service that they would receive in an office.”

The 38-foot vehicle’s design features a private changing room and spacious waiting area with an exam space where a female certified mammography technician performs screenings. Appointments take about 15 minutes from check-in to completion and images are interpreted by local board-certified radiologists who send the confidential results to the patient and their primary care provider. Current guidelines from the US Department of Health and Human Services, the American College of Radiology, the American Medical Association and the Society of Breast Imaging recommend annual screening mammograms for all women, beginning at age 40 and are typically covered 100% by health insurance. A family history of breast cancer can also be a factor, so women are encouraged to consult with their primary care provider about recommendations for when and what type of mammogram is most appropriate.

Funding for the CVMC mobile mammography program was made possible through the Catawba Medical Foundation and reflects the organization’s longstanding commitment to women’s health issues and breast cancer education. To schedule a screening day at your facility or to book an appointment at one of the locations most convenient to you, call the CVMC Health First Center at 828.485.2300.

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