Stephens Memorial Hospital to offer free breast cancer screenings; radiology department earns ACR accreditation
Stephens Memorial Hospital has partnered with the Moncrief Cancer Institute in Fort Worth to bring free mammograms to the residents of Stephens County and the surrounding area.
Breast cancer is second-most lethal cancer in women with an estimated 1 in 8 females predicted to get breast cancer in their lifetime, according to a news release from SMH. Screening is key to catching breast cancer when it is most treatable.
The free screening mammograms are available for women age 40 to 74 who have not had a mammogram in the past year and are not experiencing symptoms. Women with symptoms such as a lump, pain, swelling or discharge need a more advanced diagnostic mammogram and should contact their primary care provider.
Uninsured or underinsured women of the community can book appointments now. The free mammogram appointments will be available every third Tuesday of the month beginning July 15. The mammograms will be performed at Stephens Memorial Hospital at 200 S. Geneva St. in Breckenridge.
To schedule an appointment, call 800-405-7739. Appointments are required and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Funding for screenings is provided by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
The SMH Radiology Department has recently been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in mammography as the result of a review by the American College of Radiology. The ACR gold seal of accreditation represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR Practice Parameters and Technical Standards after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field.
As technology continues to evolve, the Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging department at SMH is working to stay at the forefront of medical services. In April, SMH added a 3D Mammography machine, the Aspire Cristalle, to ensure each exam is more comfortable with improved diagnostic accuracy and less of a chance for a false positive result. Click here to read the Breckenridge Texan’s article about the new mammography machine.
Cutline, top photo: Stephens Memorial Hospital Radiology staff Teresa Reynolds, left, and Melissa Miller show off the hospital’s new Aspire Cristalle 3D Mammography machine. (Courtesy photo)
Story and photo courtesy of Stephens Memorial Hospital
