Capital Blue Cross and WellSpan Health today announced a collaboration to increase access to breast cancer screenings in rural and underserved communities across South Central Pennsylvania.
Capital Blue Cross will provide $250,000 over the next three years to help fund WellSpan’s recently launched mobile mammography motor coach. This financial support will provide funding for hundreds of mammograms across Adams, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties. About 16,000 women between ages 50 and 75 residing in these counties have not had a mammogram in the last two years.
“Too many women are at higher risk of breast cancer because they lack easy access to routine screenings, so we’ve found a way to bring this life-saving resource to them,” said Capital Blue Cross President and CEO Todd Shamash. “Access to trusted, quality healthcare shouldn’t be dictated by your ZIP Code, and this mobile mammography unit helps break down barriers to care.”
The American Cancer Society recommends women start getting mammograms at the age of 40, but access to affordable screenings is often a barrier to receiving a potentially life-saving diagnosis. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women, and early detection leads to better health outcomes and better treatment options.
“Preventive screenings are essential to early diagnosis of breast cancer, and with Capital Blue Cross, we will be able to provide convenient mammograms to those friends and neighbors who need it most,” said Roxanna Gapstur, Ph.D., R.N., president and chief executive officer, WellSpan Health. “This is just one more way WellSpan and Capital Blue Cross are providing greater value in our region by inspiring health through accessible, affordable care for all.”
WellSpan’s dedicated team on the motor coach can complete each private screening in less than 15 minutes, using advanced three-dimensional mammography technology that allows for clearer images of breast masses, making it easier to detect breast cancer.
This effort is the latest collaboration between Capital Blue Cross and WellSpan to improve healthcare access and quality while reducing costs. A Capital Blue Cross Connect health and wellness center on WellSpan’s Chambersburg campus offers walk-in healthcare consultations, and a second center will open later this year in York. The two entities also recently launched joint Medicare Advantage products for 2022 designed to enhance quality of care, reduce costs and provide access to doctors and hospitals across the country.
For more information about the mobile mammography coach, visit www.WellSpan.org/GoMammo.
