Posted: 5/8/2023
Parkland Health plans 100 mammograms at weekend event
Parkland Health will provide mammograms for up to 100 women who live in targeted Dallas County ZIP Codes at a “Mother’s Day Out for Breast Health” event.
“We know many families will be celebrating Mother’s Day and we thought this would be a great gift for mom that is free and shows her you care,” said Vivian Johnson, PharmD, MBA, FASHP, Senior Vice President, Clinical Services at Parkland Health. “We’re planning for this to be a fun day all for mom, complete with music and even line dancing.”
The Saturday, May 13 event will run from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Moody Center for Breast Health, 5151 Maple Avenue, Suite 1A. Online registration is required and open to women who live in ZIP Codes 75060, 75061, 75210, 75211, 75215, 75216, 75217, 75241, 75217 and 75243
“Black women have higher mortality rates from breast cancer compared to other races, but mammograms can detect breast cancer early,” Johnson said. “These ZIP Codes are areas where our Community Health Needs Assessment has shown low compliance with annual mammograms. Parkland wants to increase the number of mammograms in these ZIP Codes and work to reduce health disparities.”
According to the 2022 Dallas County Health Needs Assessment, Black women have the highest probability of developing breast cancer in Dallas County, and breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among Black Dallas County women.
But preventive care saves lives. Breast cancer mortality rates declined nationally by 41% over the last 30 years due to increased availability of mammography screening, early detection, awareness and improved treatment. Parkland leaders hope events like Mother’s Day Out for Breast Health will provide women with the resources to take charge of their health and to carry those conversations into their communities.
“As mothers, we tend to put others first and not make time to take care of our own health,” Johnson added. “We want women to begin making it a priority to take care of themselves. Committing to having a mammogram this weekend and then annually is one way to begin.”
For more information about the Mother’s Day Out for Breast Health event and other Parkland services, visit www.parklandhealth.org.