G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA is ranked second amongst VA hospitals across the nation for timely breast cancer screenings.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a perfect time for a reminder about the importance of mammograms and early detection. Localized breast cancer has a 99% survival rate if detected early, and VA leads the nation’s health care systems in providing mammograms to those who need them.
“Early detection and treatment are key in the fight against breast cancer,” said Debra Pierce-Robinson, Women Veterans program manager. “Our Women Veterans Program emphasizes the importance of expanding access to on-site mammograms, ensuring Veterans receive age-appropriate breast cancer screenings. We are using state-of-the-art information technology to meet the growing needs of women Veterans.”
Coordinating mammograms through community providers
Our dedicated Women Veterans Program collaborates with the Office of Community Care to coordinate timely mammograms through community providers. Our mammography coordinators ensure timely receipt of diagnostic images and connects women with their clinical teams to coordinate all the services a woman Veteran may need.
For women ages 45 and older, VA recommends regular breast cancer screening. Women may also choose to start screening with yearly mammograms as early as age 40.
Encouraging all women Veterans to enroll in VA health care
Breast care resources available through VA include mammograms, breast ultrasounds and MRI, genetic counseling and testing, cancer diagnosis, treatment and more.
VA encourages women Veterans not currently using VA health care services to enroll and use the benefits they have earned. Call the Women Veterans Call Center for information at 1-855-VA-Women (1-855-829-6636) or visit womenshealth.va.gov.
G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA and the Columbus, Greenville, Hattiesburg, Kosciusko, McComb, Meridian, and Natchez VA Clinics are all part of the VA Jackson Health Care System. The system is headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi. We provide a variety of medical outpatient services to more than 54,000 Veterans. For more information visit www.jackson.va.gov.
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As a woman Veteran, I can tell you that I would much more inclined to get a non-compression breast cancer screening. The mammography offered at my VA facility (Tucson VA) is so painful as well as being annually inaccurate for those of us with fibrous breasts (a stressor causing a follow-up screening process – much kinder to the breast so I must ask myself, “Why isn’t this the 1st screening process to be used????”).
I can’t think that a man would allow his sensitive body parts to be screened for cancer by allowing them to be squished into the form of a pancake.
As you are brave enough to address the importance of this screening, please also be brave enough to lead the VA Hospitals across America to transition into newer technologies more humane in their approach of breast cancer screening which are non-compression screening processes. Thank You!
Such a great informative message and reminder that breast cancer is real and can attack anyone. I applaud your work in getting this message out. As a person who have experienced that scare I can appreciate this message.
I’m glad my daughter works at a place where the insurance covers younger than 40 for mamogram. I’ve known people that where in the 30’s that by the time they found out they had cancer they died or had mastectomy.