LUCAS COUNTY, Ohio — A mobile mammography unit from Mercy Health can potentially help with early detection of breast cancer and is once again making its rounds in northwest Ohio.
"It is so incredibly important that women take the time to get their screening mammogram," Stephanie Gunderman, the outreach coordinator for the "mamm van," said. "Following American Cancer guidelines, they recommend women begin their screening at the age of 40. If they have a family history, it is really important that you speak to your health care provider to see if they would want you to start screening early."
But staying up to date on those preventative health screenings isn't always easy for everyone.
The van offers safe and easy mammography screenings at convenient locations throughout several counties.
"It's convenient, it's quick," Gunderman said. "Our appointment times are 20 minutes and we're pretty good at getting patients in and out safely with great care in that time frame."
Screening mammograms are usually a covered benefit with most insurance carriers. The Breast and Cervical Cancer Project can help those who are not covered.
"Our project allows women that don't have insurance, or if they have insurance with a high out-of-pocket deductible, we make sure they're getting those life-saving screenings at no cost," Fulton County Health Department BCCP Director Erica Miller said.
It's funded through the Ohio Department of Health and the CDC and aims to make sure no one goes unscreened.
"We love this mission, the work that we're doing, being able to talk to these women that are so grateful," Miller said. "We were able to connect them to these services and they caught their breast cancer early and they had their treatment. We've had so many women call, telling us, 'you saved our life.' There's nothing better than hearing that from someone we've helped."
Below is a list of the upcoming locations the mobile mammography unit will be.
Saturday, August 6
Rock the Block at Navarre Park
1001 White Street, Oregon, Ohio 43616
Tuesday, August 9
Mercy Health - Oregon Clinic/Bay Meadows Family Medicine,
3851 Navarre Avenue, Oregon, OH 43616
Wednesday, August 10
Old West End Community Health Center.
2244 Collingwood Boulevard, Toledo, OH 43520
Thursday, August 11
Mercy Health - Swanton Primary Care
22 Turtle Creek Drive, Swanton, OH 43558
Friday, August 12
Mercy Health - Jefferson Family Medicine
2200 Jefferson Avenue, Toledo, OH 43604
Wednesday, August 17
Mercy Health – Franklin Family Medicine
2213 Franklin Avenue, Toledo, Ohio 43620
Friday, August 19
Mercy Health - Waterville Primary Care
1222 Pray Boulevard, Waterville, OH 43566
Saturday, August 20
African American Male Wellness Walk
545 Indiana Avenue, Toledo, Ohio 43604
Tuesday, August 23
Bryan Community Health Center
228 South Main Street, Bryan, OH 43506
Thursday, August 25
Mercy Health - Swanton Primary Care
22 Turtle Creek Drive, Swanton, OH 43558
Friday, August 26
Tiffin Community Health Center
1344 Seneca Avenue, Tiffin, OH 44883
Wednesday, August 31
Starbright Primary Care
28555 Starbright Boulevard, Perrysburg, OH 43551