WEST PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Penn Medicine will be unveiling its brand new mammography van this weekend at its 4th Annual Community Health Fair in West Philadelphia.
It will be held at the Community of Compassion CDC at the corner of 62nd and Cedar Avenue in West Philadelphia.
Dr. Linda Nunes, vice chair of community health at Penn Radiology, said not only is the van decked out with flowers and butterflies on the exterior, but also state of the art equipment capable of 3D mammograms on the inside.
“Once you're inside of it, it truly is just like you were walking into a hospital examining room,” she said.
Nunes said the goal of the new mobile mammography van is to reach marginalized communities where they are.
“Many cancers are unfortunately disproportionately high in mortality or higher in mortality in people of color, particularly Black population, so it really is important to us to go and try and make a difference from a kind of a health disparity perspective as well,” she said.
Beyond breast cancer, other cancer screenings available at the fair include colon, lung, prostate and throat assessments. There will also be screenings for eye health, hypertension and diabetes.
Health insurance is not required to participate. If an abnormal result is found on a mammogram or any other screening test, Penn Medicine said its team will help connect the individual to appropriate resources and follow-up care.
“That's very important to us to make sure that any positive screening test is followed up well,” said Nunes. “Penn Medicine commits to helping patients navigate getting full care, whether they choose to do that at Penn Medicine or elsewhere.”
The fair will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.