Free mammogram screenings offered to underinsured in Missoula
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MISSOULA — On the first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Tuesday, Oct. 1, Advanced Imaging at Community Medical Center will open its doors at its locations on the Community Medical Center Campus and on North Reserve to offer free digital mammograms. The free mammography screenings will be offered to women who are uninsured, underinsured or those on high-deductible insurance plans that don’t have a comprehensive mammography benefit.
“We feel very strongly that no woman should procrastinate getting a mammogram because of lack of insurance,” said Cathy Palmer, director of Advanced Imaging. “We urge women from around Western Montana to call and schedule with us, so we can help them take the first step in caring for their health.”
According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women except for skin cancers, and breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer. About one in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer during her lifetime.
“Early detection is the key to surviving a breast cancer diagnosis,” said Michelle Weaver-Knowles, a breast health navigator at Advanced Imaging/Community Medical Center. “If found and treated early, the chance for survival greatly increases. That’s why it’s so important for women to make their health a priority and not procrastinate.”
To schedule a free Oct.1 appointment, women must call Advanced Imaging in advance: toll-free at (866) 462-4306 or locally at (406) 327-3950. Appointments are available from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Advanced Imaging’s main center on 2803 South Avenue, Missoula, next to Community Medical Center as well as from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at Advanced Imaging’s digital mammography facility on North Reserve Street in the Grant Creek Town Center, near REI and T.J. Maxx.
Patients must have a healthcare provider, to whom results can be sent.
