News Releases
HARRISBURG – Capital Blue Cross’ support of mobile mammography coaches has helped more than 2,300 uninsured and underinsured women get mammograms across six area counties since the fall of 2021.
Capital generously backs the WellSpan Mobile Mammography Coach – which provides breast-cancer screenings and education to underserved women in Adams, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York counties – and the Reading Hospital Foundation’s Mobile Mammography Coach, which serves women in Berks County and nearby communities.
“Mammograms can help detect breast cancer sooner and save lives, but many women don’t have easy access to these routine screenings,” said Capital Blue Cross President and CEO Todd Shamash. “These mobile mammography units bring this life-saving resource to them, and are another example of Capital Blue Cross going the extra mile to advance health equity and break down barriers to care.”
In two years through June 2023, the WellSpan unit – with the help of a significant, five-year commitment from Capital through 2024 – served roughly 1,600 women and detected at least 14 cancers.
The Reading Hospital Foundation mobile coach has been in service since September 2022. Through June - across 97 events at 34 Berks County locations - 790 women received mammograms in the mobile unit, which Tower Health says has dramatically increased mammography compliance rates.
“These critical breast cancer screenings and detections are among women who may not have had mammograms without this mobile-outreach service,” said Susan Hubley, Capital Blue Cross vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility. “More than a quarter-million women are diagnosed with breast cancer in America every year, and some 42,000 will not survive. The mammography vans we support exemplify Capital’s commitment to help provide potentially life-saving services for those who need it the most.”
About Capital Blue Cross
Capital Blue Cross serves a 21-county region in Central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley by offering health insurance products, services and technology solutions that provide peace of mind and promote health and wellness for our members. We focus on simplifying and personalizing the healthcare experience and using innovative solutions – including patient-focused care models, actionable data, and digital health technologies – to create healthier lives and lower healthcare costs. Our Capital Blue Cross Connect health and wellness centers provide in-person service and inspiration to help people reach their health goals. Capital Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.