Van has traveled 47,000 miles, completed more than 4,000 mammograms and detected 17 cancers
Upstate Medical University’s Mobile Mammography Van, known as the Mammovan, recenty celebrated its fifth anniversary.
In five years, the van has traveled 47,000 miles to bring mammograms to women in 12 counties around Central New York. More than 4,000 mammograms have been done on the van and 17 cancers detected.
Even during the pandemic, the Mammovan was put into service as a COVID testing site, before heading back out on the road for breast cancer screenings so women could keep their appointments up to date.
“The Upstate Mammography Van is an extension of our clinical care mission throughout Central New York,” said Upstate University Hospital CEO Robert Corona. “This mobile option for care helps broaden the accessibility of this life-saving screening for women. We are grateful to all our partnership communities for hosting Upstate in this important health care initiative.”
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in New York state. Each year, nearly 16,000 women in New York are newly diagnosed with breast cancer and about 2,500 die from the disease according to the New York State Department
of Health.
The mobile health clinic started with a grant from Health Research Inc. and the New York State Department of Health—now supported fully by Upstate—to bring this lifesaving screening to women who, for various reasons, can’t travel to a hospital or facility to obtain one.
Wendy Hunt, program manager, said the van is out on the road an average of four days a week and can see as many as 20 patients per day. The van is equipped with the same state-of-the-art screening technology found in a clinic setting and images are read by licensed radiologists. The van has a reception area, a changing area, a nursing exam room, and an imaging room. For patients who have mobility concerns or use a wheelchair, the van has a wheelchair lift.
Call 315-464-2588 or visit us at www.upstate.edu/noexcuses for more information or to request an appointment.
For a full list of upcoming screening events, visit www.upstate.edu/mobile-mammography/events.php