Hologic - Clarity of Vision

Reaching Out Over Land

Because most of the small hospitals and community clinics in the rural areas surrounding Baton Rouge do not offer mammography services, the Woman's Hospital mobile van program reaches populations in desperate need of screening. "We typically try to stay within a 60 mile radius simply because we've learned that it is hard for patients beyond that point to come back should they need further evaluation," she noted. "If you get out of that 60 miles it's taking the patient out of her home."

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Cynthia stretched that 60-mile limit to assist the staff at the Louisiana State University Healthcare system. "They didn't have any mammography ability at all, so we worked with them for almost a year until they got reestablished with their own equipment," she said. "We served about 1,400 patients for them."

In addition to working with clinics and small hospitals, the van visits health units in federally-qualified community centers and the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, as well as churches and schools. "We typically do about 10 or more schools when we are in the area. Teachers in these facilities know that we'll come once a year so they don't have to take off a day's work."

Working With Wellness Programs

Employers in and around Louisiana's state capital depend on the Woman's mobile program to augment their wellness programs. Dow Chemical, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, Novartis and E-Tel are just a few of the heavy hitters calling on the service. "Actually my job is a little easier these days as there are many already well-developed wellness programs in major employers, so this is just a way to bring mammography to the mix," said Cynthia. "Everybody loves it. When I go there, and once we're there a year, we always get invited because women say 'I didn't have to take off work a half day to get a 15 minute test done. It was here at work and I did it on my noon hour.'"

It should come as no surprise that once a company approves a mobile screening day, the Woman's mobile mammography van and crew are always invited back.

Getting the Word Out

Ten years of operating a mobile analog program provided Cynthia and her staff with an established base of service sites to grow from. Woman's hospital also partners with a local cancer treatment facility to augment their clinical offerings. "They do a lot of advertising, and they also have a coach that provides like clinical things: breast exams, skin screens, prostate screens. When they're on the breast end of things usually both our coaches are there," Cynthia explained.

Newspaper advertising helps fund screening for the underinsured population, as does a grant from the Louisiana Breast and Cervical Health Program.

The mobile program is so well known in the area that there are often more calls than Cynthia and her crew of a driver, two technologists and one receptionist can handle. Typically, the van is running five days a week and two Saturdays each month. "My schedule is 90% booked until the end of the year. When we do have some openings they are far and few between."