Pennsylvania Hospital will team up with the American Cancer Society, the Consulate of Mexico in Philadelphia and Univision 65 to host an annual breast cancer screening event on Friday, October 28, by providing free mammograms to uninsured and underinsured women in the Philadelphia community. The event, which will include free transportation to and from screening appointments as well as Spanish interpreters on-site, caps off Breast Cancer Awareness Month as part of a larger campaign called Amate a ti Misma or Love Yourself, which encourages women, particularly Latina women, to receive annual mammography screening for breast cancer.
“Regular screenings are the most reliable way to detect breast abnormalities and can improve the odds of successful treatment and recovery,” said Brian S. Englander, MD, chair of the department of Radiology at Pennsylvania Hospital. “Early detection is key, and today’s mammograms are quick and highly reliable. Women who are unable to access cancer screening tests are more likely to be diagnosed with cancers at later stages, when they are harder to treat. We want every woman with breast cancer to have the best chance at a cure through early detection.”
The all-day screening event will be held from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST on Friday, October 28 at Pennsylvania Hospital, located at 800 Spruce Street in Philadelphia.
Women can sign up for the event and schedule their screening by calling Emily Verderame, MPH, program manager and breast cancer screening navigator, at (215) 454-3217. Women who are 40 or older, who have not had a mammogram in the past year, and do not have health insurance are eligible for the program. Women with abnormal findings will be notified immediately and will be scheduled for additional follow up studies. If women are diagnosed, they will be enrolled in health insurance and treated at the Abramson Cancer Center.
“We are indebted to Pennsylvania Hospital for including us in this important initiative,” said Carlos Obrador, Consul of Mexico in Philadelphia. “Either because of cost or stigma, people in our community are still resistant to access many preventive care services, including mammograms. But when they identify and trust the two organizations offering them, that threshold breaks and together we move forward in fighting breast cancer.”
Event partners also include Ciocca Subaru and Little Words Project. Ciocca Subaru will be providing transportation to and from Pennsylvania Hospital. Additional details around transportation will be provided when women sign up for the event.
The event adds to the Abramson Cancer Center’s suite of programs and efforts to eliminate disparities in cancer detection, care, and outcomes among low-income and minority communities. The Penn Medicine Breast Health Initiative, for instance, aims to boost rates of early detection and treatment through patient navigation and breast health education, enrollment in health insurance, language interpreters at appointments, and public transportation tokens to assist in getting to and from appointments. Mobile mammography events have also brought screening to women at community locations near grocery stores, churches and schools.
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Penn Medicine is one of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation’s first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $9.9 billion enterprise.
The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top medical schools in the United States for more than 20 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $546 million awarded in the 2021 fiscal year.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System’s patient care facilities include: the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center—which are recognized as one of the nation’s top “Honor Roll” hospitals by U.S. News & World Report—Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Medicine Princeton Health; and Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation’s first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional facilities and enterprises include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, Penn Medicine at Home, Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, among others.
Penn Medicine is powered by a talented and dedicated workforce of more than 47,000 people. The organization also has alliances with top community health systems across both Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey, creating more options for patients no matter where they live.
Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2021, Penn Medicine provided more than $619 million to benefit our community.