A brand new Penn Medicine mobile mammogram van will soon hit the streets of Philadelphia and surrounding areas, starting with Penn Medicine's free community health fair in West Philly on Sunday, July 13. The mobile mammogram unit will enable Penn Medicine to provide convenient breast cancer screenings at community sites throughout the region year-round.
"We are thrilled to introduce Penn Medicine's first mobile mammogram van, something we've been looking forward to—and the community has been asking us for," said Brian Englander, MD, the Robert E. Campbell Professor of Radiology and chair of Radiology at Pennsylvania Hospital. "When we bring our mammography services directly to community partners and events, we can make lifesaving breast cancer screenings more accessible for all."
The van will make its debut at Penn Medicine's annual community health fair, now in its fourth year and hosted in partnership with the Community of Compassion CDC. The fair will include fun activities for all ages and take place on Sunday, July 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Compassion CDC's community center on 6150 Cedar Ave.
Screenings offered from head to toe
During the fair, attendees will be able to access a variety of free health screenings and educational resources. In addition to breast cancer screening mammograms, health care providers from Penn Medicine and the Abramson Cancer Center will offer free take-home colon cancer screening kits, PSA blood tests for prostate cancer, lung cancer risk assessments, liver and vascular health assessments using ultrasound, eye health screenings, throat cancer screenings, and screenings for diabetes and hypertension. Individuals interested in liver health screening should fast for three hours prior to the ultrasound.
Health insurance is not required to participate. If an abnormal result is found on a mammogram or any other screening test, the Penn Medicine team will help connect the individual to appropriate resources and follow-up care.
Come for fun too!
The fair will also include free food, raffle prizes, and a special appearance from the Philadelphia 76ers Entertainment Team as part of the team's Box Out Cancer initiative.
"This health fair has become one of my favorite times of the year—it's rewarding to see so many people come back year after year," said lead organizer Linda White Nunes, MD, MPH, a professor of Clinical Radiology and vice chair for Community Health for the department of Radiology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
A history of successful partnership
Penn Medicine has been hosting free, yearly mammogram events in partnership with Siemens Healthineers since 2021. Over the past four years, Penn Medicine has delivered nearly 1,000 free mammograms at these events, detecting nine breast cancers, which is higher than the average cancer detection rate of approximately 5.1 cancers per 1,000 mammograms for screening mammography.
"Both the cancer detection numbers, and the high rate of first-time mammograms indicate that we're reaching people who truly need this service," Nunes explained.
The mobile mammogram initiative builds on the Abramson Cancer Center's cancer screening programs for underserved communities. For example, the Penn Medicine Breast Health Initiative has provided free mammograms and Pap smears to uninsured and underinsured individuals at Penn Medicine locations since 2014.
Starting in 2022, the community mammogram events were aligned with the health fair at the Community of Compassion CDC. In the past, Siemens Healthineers brought a large mammogram unit that required a semi-truck cab to move. Penn's new, 34-foot mobile mammogram van, supported by generous donors, as well as federal and community grants, is more like an RV for mammograms—it can be driven and parked like any other vehicle.
"Siemens Healthineers has proudly supported Penn Medicine's tireless efforts to bring free annual mammography screening to underserved women in Philadelphia," said Niral Patel, head of X-Ray Products at Siemens Healthineers North America. "Today, we congratulate Penn Medicine on the acquisition of its own mobile mammography van, which will help expand patient access to potentially life-saving screening technology."
The new mammogram van is designed to provide the latest advances in breast imaging in a comfortable setting, with Siemens' 3D mammography technology in a private air-conditioned suite.
More screenings ahead: request the mammogram van for your event
Penn Medicine will partner with partner with local businesses to bring the mobile mammogram van to health fairs, community events, employee wellness events, and corporate campuses in the Greater Philadelphia Area. Request the mobile mammography van by filling out the online request form.
A calendar of public events featuring the mobile mammography van will be available online soon. At these mobile mammogram events, patients' insurance will be billed, if applicable, and no one will be turned away due to lack of insurance.
"We're dedicated to empowering our community with accessible cancer screenings, education, and prevention resources," said Carmen E. Guerra, MD, the Ruth C. and Raymond G. Perelman Professor and associate director for Community Outreach and Engagement at Abramson Cancer Center. "With this new mobile mammogram van, we'll be even better equipped to provide essential preventive care across the Greater Philadelphia Area."
