Saving lives
It's a proven fact - early detection saves lives.
Sentara's 3D mammography van takes away the barriers of time, accessibility and even fear. In doing so, we have helped save countless lives.
Sentara currently has one mobile mammography van in Hampton Roads and prioritizes serving communities with limited access to mammography services. The van services a 90-minute drive radius from Sentara Leigh Hospital, including northeastern North Carolina. In 2023, the van's mammography was upgraded to 3D technology.
In its first year after the upgrade, the 3D mammography van screened 2,600 women and detected 418 abnormal results, resulting in 20 breast cancer diagnoses.
A need to increase capacity
By February 2024, the Hampton Roads van appointment schedule was filled for the entire calendar year. Requests for the 3D mammography van exceed Sentara’s current capacity.
By adding two more mobile mammo vans we could offer 2,000 more screenings per van each year! Imagine, 4,000 more people receiving the healthcare they need.
Join us in expanding capacity—and better health outcomes—for southeastern Virginia as we seek to raise $1 million to launch two additional 3D mobile mammography vans.
Your support today will:
- Launch two new 3D mobile mammography vans
- Strategically locate new vans in areas of high need in our community
- Engage community at all levels and education community on the benefits of the 3D mobile mammography care program
And, thanks to a grateful patient and generous donor of The Sentara Foundation, gifts to the 3D Mammography Van Campaign were matched for a limited time! We would like to thank our entire community for coming together to double your impact at the end of 2024. We are currently 60% to our $1,000,000 goal!
For questions on ways to give, contact The Sentara Foundation at 757-455-7976 or email foundation@sentara.com.
Early detection of changes in the breast can significantly affect survival rate.
Sentara Comprehensive Breast Centers throughout Hampton Roads provide personalized, advanced treatment and create a new paradigm for cancer care in our community. Patients and their families benefit from the most recent advancements in treatment, from radiation oncology to wellness classes and support groups. Sentara’s Comprehensive Breast Center is among an elite group designated as an American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Center of Excellence.
Sentara offers the same mammography service through mobile vans to offer more accessibility. Our Sentara 3D mobile mammography van travels to sites throughout Virginia and North Carolina, making screening mammography appointments fast and convenient. All mammograms are read by a fellowship-trained breast radiologist, and nurse navigators are available to answer any questions along the way.
The van is designed for comfort, with private dressing rooms, central air/heating and a platform step for safer entry.
Sentara’s goal is to provide a seamless experience and offer a calm, patient-centered environment to make breast health care as easy and comfortable as possible.
By offering 3D mammography within a mobile van, Sentara is addressing health inequities by eliminating transportation as a barrier to care.
The number of Americans diagnosed with cancer is expected to increase by over 36 percent by 2030. By then, more than 22 million Americans will be cancer survivors with diverse, ongoing needs. In Virginia alone, cancer now surpasses heart disease as the leading cause of death.
Every year more than 10,000 people in our community hear the words, “You have cancer.” We need to change the stories behind those numbers by providing timely, compassionate care within our own community.
By supporting two additional 3D mobile mammography vans, we can help meet the increased need of mammography in our community. Supporting mobile care mammography will ensure equitable treatment for all communities in our area.
Sentara is committed to advancing health equity and ensuring all members of our communities have access to the resources they need to live their healthiest and most fulfilling lives. By addressing social determinants of health and improving access to high quality healthcare, Sentara is improving health every day.