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Women and Children's Services

Saint Mary's Breast Center

Free Mammograms for high-risk women under forty

Saint Mary's Health Care Breast Center offers no cost mammograms (breast x-rays) to women under forty who are high-risk (mother or sister diagnosed with pre-menopausal breast cancer) or who have a palpable breast mass. Follow-up and referral for a surgical consultation are also provided if necessary.

You may qualify, based on your income and family size, if you are:

• Under forty years old
• Not insured
• Insured but not with a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), Medicaid or Medicare*.

* Medicaid, Medicare, and most HMO's pay for mammograms if indicated for women under forty.

Do You Qualify?

• In column 1, find the number of people living in your house.
• Look at column 2 for your yearly household income.

You qualify if your income is equal to or less than what is listed on the chart.

Example: Three people making a household income of $37,550 a year qualify.

Breast Center Guidelines

Saint Mary's program generally affirms the following American Cancer Society guidelines for the detection of breast cancer in women who have no visible symptoms:

• Women 20 years and older should perform breast self-examinations every month.
• Women 20 to 40 should have a phsyical examination of the breast every three years, and women over 40 should have one every year.
• Women between 35 and 40 should have a baseline mammogram.
• Women over 40 should have a mammogram every year.
• Women with personal or family histories of breast cancer should consult a physician or Saint Mary's Breast Center about the need for more frequent examinations.

Note: A physical exam of the breast by a qualified medical provider is as important as a mammogram - up to 10% of breast tumors may be invisible to mammography.

Accreditation

Saint Mary's Breast Center and Mobile Mammography Unit are accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and staffed by ARRT Registered Technologists. To qualify for accreditation, strict requirements must be met regarding dosage levels, quality control of equipment, as well as staff credentials.

Where is the Center?

The Center is located on the first floor of The Cancer Center located at 310 Lafayette SE. You may park in the ramp directly in back of the building. There is access to the ramp via driveways on the north and south sides of the building.

To make an appointment at Saint Mary's Breast Center, please call: 616/752-6756 or 1-800/639-6266.

Funding made available through a grant from the Grand Rapids Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.