Between the time-consuming demands of work and family, unfortunately many women forgo an important, lifesaving medical check-up, their annual breast exam and mammogram, simply because “they don’t have time.”
The Ellen Hermanson Breast Center at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital is hoping to address that issue by opening on the first Saturday of every month from 8 a.m. through 2 p.m. The extended hours will allow women 40 years and older, with and without insurance, to meet with a nurse practitioner who will provide a clinical examination, followed by a mammogram.
“Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women after skin cancer. Mammograms can help detect breast cancer early, possibly before it has spread,” the National Cancer Institute notes. A mammogram, or x-ray of the breast, which takes 20 minutes or less, is the “gold standard” when it comes to breast cancer early detection.
“We are now open on the first Saturday of every month to give busy moms and working women an alternative day to schedule their annual breast exam and mammogram,” said Dr. Edna Kapenhas, Medical Director of Ellen Hermanson Breast Center at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. “Our goal is to help women in our community get the vital breast care they need.”
Appointments can be made by calling 631-726-8400. The sole requirement is that it must be at least one year since the client’s last mammogram.
The Ellen Hermanson Breast Center boasts state-of-the-art technology, including ACRDigital Mammography with Tomosynthesis (3D Mammography), High-Resolution Ultrasound, Hologic Affirm Prone Breast Biposy System, Breast MRI, Ultrasound guided biopsies, Stereotactic Biopsy, MRI Biopsy, and Nuclear Imaging.
Stony Brook Southampton Hospital is located at 240 Meeting House Lane in Southampton. For more information, visit southampton.stonybrookmedicine.edu.