Mount Sinai's Mammovan hits the road to bring screening access to every borough | amNewYork

"Mount Sinai's Mobile Mammography Program has been in service for more than 1,200 days, and finding a vacant parking spot for it was the smallest of the missions it was there to accomplish, assured Alexander Lewis, the program's manager. The harder part is getting local women to know that they can visit the Mammovan and receive a potentially life-saving screening to detect possible breast cancer."

"Funded through a state initiative, the mobile unit has been bringing street-level breast imaging to New York residents since 2018. The state-of-the-art, updated, 100% compliant equipment embedded within the ambulatory clinic is breaking down barriers to preventative healthcare, especially for underserved communities. In many cases, insurance is not a prerequisite for qualification. When it pertains to communities where there's a large presence of minorities or undocumented individuals, we have seen an increase in patient turnout, said Lewis."

"We really need to go where the patients are and not just always expect them to come to the medical center, echoed Dr. Jessie Fields, a primary care doctor at an office located on West 147th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard. Close to the community, she takes a proactive approach to encouraging appointments. One of the things I do is I don't just talk to patients in my office. I go to churches, health fairs, screenings."

Mount Sinai's mobile mammography van offers street-level breast imaging across New York City and has operated since 2018, serving for more than 1,200 days. State-funded and equipped with updated, 100% compliant technology, the ambulatory clinic increases access to preventive care for underserved communities. Many patients qualify without insurance, and turnout rises in areas with large minority or undocumented populations. Local partnerships and proactive outreach at churches, health fairs, and community sites encourage appointments. Providers emphasize going to patients rather than expecting clinic visits to reduce disparities in breast cancer detection and outcomes.

Read at www.amny.com