Early detection, early intervention means life can return to normal
For women who have difficulty
driving to a location
to receive medical care,
mobile medical vehicles
can bring life-saving
screenings and resources
directly to places that are
more accessible to them.
To better serve women in the community,
particularly uninsured and underinsured
women, UTMB Health launched
the Mobile Mammography program
in 1999 and has been providing easier
access to breast cancer screenings for
women who need them.
The Mobile Mammography Program
offers women the opportunity to be
screened using state-of-the-art technology.
The presence of the vehicle in
areas highly frequented by women helps
to remind everyone of the message that
screenings are accessible, and early
detection and intervention of breast
cancer is vital, Senior Manager for
UTMB’s Breast Imaging Clinical Operations
Rachel Thiesse-Yount said.
“UTMB offers programs that support
the goal of helping women in our community
gain access to screening mammography
services,” Thiesse-Yount said.
The annual BraDazzle event, in collaboration
with the Sante Fe Chamber
of Commerce, focuses on fundraising to
provide for the underinsured or uninsured
women in Galveston County. It is vital for
women to have access to mammography
services because early detection and
intervention is paramount, she said.
Each year, there are multiple special
events scheduled in the community that
collaborate with UTMB to bring the
mobile mammography coach to their
function, she said.
“In a year, we might log up to 4,000
miles of travel to meet the imaging
needs of women,” she said. “Last year,
UTMB supported 37 special events in
the greater Galveston County and surrounding
areas, including “appearances”
at Moody Gardens, Tanger Outlet
Mall, St. Vincent’s House in Galveston,
Galveston County Health Fair, churches,
schools, realty offices and the Gulf
Coast Ford dealership.”
“Last fiscal year, we imaged 450 patients
at these community-based special
events,” she said. “UTMB collaborates
with the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice and the mobile mammography
coach serves the female population at
local facilities. We also provide access for
screening mammography services to our
Regional Women’s Clinics in Pearland,
Conroe, Angleton, Katy, Beaumont and
Sugar Land. This extension of services to
the community ensures access to mammograms
closer to home. In 2023, the
mobile coach imaged over 1,500 women.”
“We all know someone or have heard
of someone in our circle of friends and
family that received a breast cancer diagnosis.
We see or learn how detrimental
this diagnosis can be and how deeply
it affects those fighting, both the patient
and family and friends. The importance
of annual screening mammograms
cannot be overstated. Waiting should
not be an option. Early detection and
prevention are critical. Patients may not
experience any symptoms and having
piece of mind that your breast health is
being managed timely is comforting.”
“The importance of regular screenings
can’t be overstated,” she said. “That’s
why, the longer you wait and put off that
early diagnosis, the more difficult it is
to manage. You might have no idea that
something is wrong, no pain or symptoms
at all. The calcifications can be tiny, and
you wouldn’t be able to feel them yourself.
That’s why using mammography to
image your tissue is so important. That’s
how those calcifications are identified.”
“Some patients might be fearful of
the mammogram exam itself,” she said.
“Breast tissue does require compression
in order to fully assess the breast tissue,
and patients may be fearful of that process.
But I would impress upon women
to remember the prevention element of
this exam. The exam is over very quickly,
and it is possible to speak with the
mammography technologist to express
concerns about the amount of compression
being used. There are ways to adjust
the compression to obtain excellent
image quality all the while making your
experience as pleasant as possible. Our
intention is imaging without pain and
minimizing discomfort.”
“If a cancer is detected, UTMB has
excellent oncologists and surgeons
that will guide a patient’s care,” she
said. “Breast cancer treatments have
improved greatly along with overall
survival rates. Finding normalcy after
treatment is absolutely possible.”
“Women give of themselves so much,
and it’s important that we take care of
ourselves so we can continue being
wives, mothers and grandmothers,” she
said. “The first step is to come and get
that screening.”
For uninsured or underinsured patients
who would like to schedule a mammogram,
contact the coordinator at 832-
505-1721.
This feature first ran as a feature story in the 2024 Think Pink special section of the Daily News. You can view the full the publication online.