Dateline DFCI
Mammography van expands access to cancer screenings
The Mammography Van
Dana-Farber began rolling into local neighborhoods last spring to provide breast cancer screenings to women who might not otherwise have them. The visits came on the wheels of Boston's Mammography Van, a joint venture between the Institute and the City of Boston.
Equipped with a mammography machine and staffed by two DFCI technologists, the van travels to area community health centers, shelters, houses of worship, and other venues. The staff members aboard conduct about 30 screenings a day and hope to eventually serve more than 5,000 women a year.
"We bring these services directly to places where women feel more comfortable, their own languages are spoken, and their cultures are understood," explains Program Director Karen Ruderman.
DFCI staff members Linda Berube, RT (right), and Ola Sanders tour inside Boston's Mammography Van.
Beyond the mammography equipment, the van features a waiting room and two changing areas that open directly into the examination room. The program accepts most health-insurance coverage, including Medicaid, but will also screen women who lack insurance.
The initiative fits into DFCI's mission of community outreach, notes Vice President for Planning Anne Levine. "The van is one of many efforts by the Institute to raise awareness about early detection of breast and other cancers, as well as provide treatment and follow-up to underserved populations in the region."
