Vehicle provides screenings to women in rural areas of Virginia,West Va.
~ Press release provided by Valley Health
WINCHESTER, Aug. 17 — On Monday, Valley Health unveiled its new Steven E. & Beverley B. Shoemaker Valley Health Mobile Mammography Unit, which will provide life-saving screenings for women throughout Virginia and West Virginia starting this fall.
“To me, this mobile mammography unit is a true gift from the community, for the community,” said Jenny Grooms, Executive Director of Valley Health Foundations. “Thanks to the generosity of supporters of our Stronger Together Campaign, we’re able to bring screenings closer to where women live, work, worship, and gather.”
Stronger Together is a three-year campaign conducted by Valley Health Foundations to raise $20 million to address critical needs in the community. One of these needs is the availability of mammography screening, especially for women in rural areas. Currently, less than 50 percent of eligible women in the community get their annual screening mammogram, with transportation being a major barrier.
“We know that for many women, the challenge isn’t the cost of a screening — it’s finding the time, transportation, or flexibility to get to an appointment,” Grooms said. “My hope is that by bringing care directly into our communities, we can make it easier for women to prioritize their health and encourage one another to take those few important minutes for an annual screening.”
The mobile mammography unit, which is 36 feet long, contains a Hologic 3D mammography machine, the same kind that is used throughout Valley Health. The unit will travel throughout the region, visiting rural communities, major employers, churches, and community centers to bring screenings closer to where women live and work.
Approximately two to three patients will be screened per hour on the unit, which will be on the road several days a week in Valley Health’s coverage region of the Northern Shenandoah Valley and Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.
Valley Health is currently finalizing the unit’s schedule and partnerships with community organizations and employers. Information about upcoming screening locations and eligibility requirements will be available soon.
Valley Health is a nationally recognized not-for-profit health system serving a population of more than 500,000 in the Northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. As a healthcare provider, employer, and community partner, Valley Health is committed to improving the health of the region. The system includes six hospitals, more than 75 medical practices and Urgent Care centers, outpatient rehabilitation, medical transport, long-term care, and home health.
To learn more about Stronger Together,
visit valleyhealthlink.com/stronger.
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