The Mammovan is back in town and celebrating 25 years of providing mammography screenings for women.
"I would not have been able to have mammograms if it hadn't been for this, so I appreciate it very much," said Lori Schwab, a patient who's been using the Mammovan for the last five years.
Using donations and grants, Nevada Health Centers' Mammovan has been providing mammograms for free or at a low cost to patients who don't have insurance or struggle financially, helping about 20 patients every day.
"We've been rolling strong," said Carrie Tallman, marketing communications manager for Nevada Health Centers. "We've covered almost 352,000 miles over the course of the program and are helping about 3,000 women each year."
The bright pink trailer travels all over the state. And for the next two weeks is hopping from Carson City, to Reno, then Sparks, then Yerington.
The mammography screenings are primarily for women 40 and older, but they also accept younger patients that have a screening referral from a provider.
"It's a very quick and easy appointment. They come aboard for roughly 15-20 minutes," said Tallman.
With so many patients depending on the Mammovan's services, some have been expressing concerns on possible federal funding cuts.
"We are always concerned about funding," said Tallman. "This probably isn't necessarily new to us, we're looking at different ways for people to donate."
One of those ways is buying a pink ribbon license plate from the DMV.
Tallman says it's crucial for women to be able to get the proper healthcare services they need sooner rather than later, regardless of financial status.
"Women are often busy as care givers, they're raising children, they're helping their aging parents," she said. It's okay to put yourself first for 20 minutes. Early detection really is key."
Schwab says, "It's very important and at the age of 25 I had what they thought was a lump, so I've been having them since then and thank goodness."
To donate or learn more about the services that the Mammovan provides you can click here.
