Mercy Health launches region’s first Mobile Mammography Van

        One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Fortunately, early detection saves lives.
        But what about women who can’t afford or don’t have access to screenings?
        In an effort to better meet the needs of patients and the community, Mercy Health on Feb. 1 introduced the region’s first mobile mammography unit. The Mercy Health – Toledo Mobile Mammography Van will begin seeing patients this month.
        The Mercy Health-branded mobile mammography unit is customized for patient convenience and will deliver mammograms to women age 40 and older. In addition to being equipped with 3D technology, mammograms performed in the mobile unit will offer the option of self-compression, meaning patients will have the ability to control the compression once they are in position.
        The unit will offer service at locations throughout the 21 counties in Northwest Ohio.
        “Research shows that early detection of breast cancer saves lives and yet, less than 75 percent of eligible women nationwide have received a mammogram within the last two years,” said Dr. Constance Cashen, general surgeon and medical director of the Mercy Health breast program. “Our goal is to make it easy for all eligible women, and men, to access this potentially life-saving technology.”
        As a mobile unit, the Mercy Health – Toledo Mobile Mammography Van has the power to break down the barriers of time, access and location, meeting women where they are throughout Mercy Health’s service areas of Toledo, Defiance, Willard, Tiffin and Lima, Cashen said. Mercy Health plans to align with partners such as local churches, employers and communities to provide convenient access.
        In particular, the mobile mammography van was launched to help support the Mercy Health mission of caring for the poor and underserved, as it will help eliminate barriers in accessing mammography services and offer support to those who are underinsured, homeless or have high-deductible plans. Plans call for the van to bring mammography services to nearly 1,500 women who otherwise may not have had this potentially life-saving test.
        “At Mercy Health, our focus remains on enhanced access to care, care that happens outside of the traditional hospital setting,” said Bob Baxter, president of all Mercy Health. “Today, we are excited to bring life-saving and changing mammograms directly to those who seek care, delivering on our promise of bringing health care to our patients when and where it’s needed most.”
        The mobile mammography unit can offer an added level of peace of mind and convenience during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially to those who have put off getting their mammograms for safety reasons. There will be no need to sit in a waiting room when visiting the mobile unit, and skilled, masked technicians following CDC guidelines will complete the screening in about 15 minutes.
        For more information or a schedule of locations, call 833-MAMM-VAN.