Odalis Rivera takes the time to get her mammograms regularly. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, she is encouraging Latinas to get their screenings done in a van that is offering free screenings to uninsured women through the end of October.
Hartford Hospital’s “Take the Time” Mobile Mammography Program brings a mobile unit to communities around the state to offer the service for people who would otherwise not have access to them.
“The care I received was wonderful,” Rivera said in Spanish about her experience in the mobile unit.
“I came in to have my mammogram done because it was time,” she said. “Well, we discovered a small problem which, thank God, is nothing life-threatening or complicated. Thanks to them, I can get on with my life.”
According to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, about 1 in 9 Hispanic women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
Latinas and Hispanic women are more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age, at more advanced stages, and with more aggressive disease, according to the foundation.
This is due, in part, to the fact that these women are disproportionately impacted by the lack of access to preventative care and insurance, resulting in lower rates of screening mammograms among this group, the foundation said.
“We need to ensure that people don’t just end up as another statistic,” Rivera said. “There must be a proper process and ongoing follow-up care to ensure a good quality of life.”
Rivera said lack of preventative care can also be a cultural issue. Latinas, she said, often prioritize others before themselves and their own health.
“[Latinas] shouldn’t put [mammograms] off just because they’re busy with work or family,” Rivera said. “If they aren’t there, then there is no family, no job, no home, no spouse—nothing.”
Getting mammography services
Shanae Grant is the Community Outreach Specialist for the mobile mammography program. She said the program covers both insured and uninsured patients.
“We try to do clinics, community outreach, a Walmart,” Grant said, “just have patients see the van, be able to say, ‘Hey, I forgot my mammogram,’ and just come on the bus.”
The free mammograms are being offered to uninsured women throughout October thanks to a $10,000 donation from Beekley Family ARC Angel.
Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Grant said the program sees a lot more turnout compared to the rest of the year, but they ensure these services are available year-round.
“If you can't make it for this October, we're here for November, December, January,” she said.
Mammograms are recommended for people with breasts over the age of 40. However, Grant said people can start getting a mammogram as young as 35 years old.
“We're able to do a baseline between the ages of 35 and 39,” she said. “You can get a rough estimate of what your breast looks like, and then the radiologists can determine, [and say] ‘Hey, maybe you should start looking at it earlier.’”
This is especially recommended to those who have breast cancer in the family, she said.
“We just want to make sure that everyone is taking care of themselves, regardless of what's happening, and regardless if they're undocumented or have no insurance,” Grant said.
Learn more
You can call 860-972-1243 to learn dates and locations of where the mobile mammography unit will travel.
Patients seeking mammography services on the van are recommended to bring an insurance card (if they have one) and a form of identification, which can be an ID, a passport, or a library card with the patient’s name on it.
