EvergreenHealth's Mobile Mammography Coach First in Region to Offer 3D Screenings

KIRKLAND, Wash., Sept. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- EvergreenHealth is bringing the benefits of three-dimensional (3D) mammography screening to communities across the Puget Sound with the addition of tomosynthesis aboard its state-of-the-art mobile mammography coach. EvergreenHealth is the first Seattle-area healthcare organization to offer the mobile 3D-screening technology, and its mobile coach is the only one of its kind in the Western United States.

EvergreenHealth first introduced 3D mammography to its Kirkland-based Breast Health Center in 2011 and now, thanks to generous community contributions and fundraising efforts by the EvergreenHealth Foundation, it is pleased to add its third unit to its mobile coach to take this advanced technology out into our community.

"We owe endless gratitude to the generous contributions from the community that make this breakthrough care more accessible to women across the region," said Bob Malte, CEO of EvergreenHealth. "We're proud to be a leader in bringing innovative diagnostic tools to our communities and look forward to continuing to serve Eastside residents with the most advanced clinical care."

Tomosynthesis uses digital imaging to create a full three-dimensional reconstruction of the breast, allowing radiologists to detect breast tissue abnormalities at the earliest stages. The 3D-screening unit generates a stack of images of one-millimeter-thin layers of the breast tissue. Instead of viewing all the complexities of the breast in one flat image, radiologists examine the tissue one millimeter at a time, making fine details more clearly visible.

In addition to the improvement in diagnostic accuracy with 3D-imaging, all patients in the Breast Health Center and the mobile coach receive the MammoPad, and experience a more comfortable mammogram.

"Since we can't prevent breast cancer yet, tomosynthesis is the most advanced tool available to us to help detect breast cancer at its earliest stages," said Dr. Kara Carlson, medical director of the EvergreenHealth Breast Health Center. "We have already seen significant improvements in our call-back rates for patients who have experienced 3D-screening in our Breast Health Center, and now we are incredibly excited to bring this same level of care directly out to the community."

Three-dimensional screening is available to all patients, whether in the Breast Health Center or aboard the mobile coach, and it particularly benefits women receiving a baseline screening, those between 40 and 60 years old, and anyone with denser breast tissue.

EvergreenHealth's mobile mammography coach is a state-of-the-art traveling screening clinic that provides all of the comforts and clinical tools patients experience at the Kirkland-based clinic aboard the 40-foot luxury coach. Patients schedule appointments online or by phone, or simply by walking up to the vehicle at one of its community appearances. 

To find out where the coach will be next, visit the online schedule or follow @EvergreenHosp on Twitter for updates. 

About EvergreenHealth
EvergreenHealth, a public hospital district and community-based healthcare organization established in 1972, offers a breadth of services and programs that is among the most comprehensive in the region. More than 950 physicians provide clinical excellence within more than 80 specialties, including cardiac, oncology, surgical care, orthopedics, a neuroscience institute, women's and children's services, hospice care, pulmonary care, a sleep disorders center and home care services.  EvergreenHealth serves more than 400,000 residents in its primary service area of northern King and southern Snohomish counties with EvergreenHealth Primary Care, a network of primary and urgent care practices, and its main hospital campus in Kirkland, Wash. EvergreenHealth also provides emergency care at two sites; its main hospital campus and the EvergreenHealth Redmond Medical Center.  In addition to clinical care, EvergreenHealth offers extensive community health outreach and education programs, anchored by EvergreenHealth Nurse Navigators & Healthline, a 24/7 nurse consultation service. For more information, visit www.evergreenhealth.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Kay Taylor
Vice President, Marketing and Communications
EvergreenHealth
425.899.2604
[email protected]

Kristi Clough
Firmani + Associates Inc.
206.443.9357
[email protected]

SOURCE EvergreenHealth