Your Breast Health Matters - Schedule a $50 Screening Mammogram at PVHMC During the Month of October

In 2021, Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (PVHMC) has seen a 25% decrease in women scheduling an annual screening mammogram for breast cancer. That’s more than 1,000 women in our community who are late in receiving this vital health screening. And we all know - early detection of breast cancer saves lives.

Postponed appointments may have been caused by a number of factors, including fear of contracting COVID-19 in a health care setting, or economic factors such as loss of health insurance or finances during the pandemic. It is safe to visit PVHMC’s Breast Health Center and the Pomona Valley Health Centers. PVHMC is taking extra precautions to keep patients safe. And in an effort to reduce financial barriers and encourage women to get screened, during the month of October, PVHMC is offering $50 screening mammograms with no physician order or proof of insurance required.

Breast cancer is a devastating disease and the second most common cancer among women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In women who are over 40 or at a high risk of developing breast cancer, annual screening mammograms are crucial to early detection and diagnosis, which can lead to more treatment options and successful health outcomes.

“Early detection is critical to treatment of breast cancer,” says Paul Reisch, MD, medical director of the Breast Health Center at PVHMC. “Please don’t delay your mammogram any longer – we have COVID-19 precautions in place to protect your health and safety, and have lowered the cost to $50 so no one has to put off this potentially lifesaving screening.”

Women who are eligible for this screening include:

• Women over 40 years of age
• Women without breast implants
• Women who do not have a history of breast cancer in the past five years
• Women who are not currently experiencing breast problems
• Women who have not had a COVID-19 vaccine in the past 4-6 weeks

While many breast care centers only offer 3D mammography to women with dense breast tissue, PVHMC was one of the first in the region to offer digital 3D mammography to all of its patients, regardless of their income or insurance coverage. Additionally, the hospital has invested in a new technology that decreases the amount of radiation patients are exposed to during a 3D mammogram.

In 2019, PVHMC also became the first in the region to offer the SmartCurve™ breast stabilization system, which is clinically proven to deliver a more comfortable mammogram without compromising image quality, workflow or dose. The system detects more invasive cancers, and reduces false positives, pain and discomfort associated with flat paddle compression traditionally used for mammograms.

To schedule a $50 3D mammography appointment in October at the Breast Health Center in Pomona, or at the Pomona Valley Health Centers in Claremont, Chino Hills or La Verne, call PVHMC’s scheduling line at (909) 469-9395. PVHMC’s cancer program is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.