AdventHealth's mobile mammography buses bring breast screenings to work

Fitting a mammogram into a busy work schedule may not be a top priority for working women. That’s why AdventHealth is now bringing appointments to them. 

The health system’s mobile mammography program serves thousands of women across Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties, using buses equipped with 3D imaging technology to reduce travel and scheduling barriers, the agency says. 

One of those buses, named Dottie, made its first visit to Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus on Monday to raise awareness that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“The bus was funded entirely by donations through the AdventHealth West Florida Foundation,” Kristen McCall, the foundation’s president, says in the release. 

Dottie is one of three coaches AdventHealth has converted into mobile medical offices, complete with reception and waiting areas, private changing rooms and mammography suites. The program accepts requests for visits to workplaces and community locations, and its online scheduling options include corporate and government events as well as school district sites. Screenings take as little as 10 minutes, according to the program’s website.

The mobile program offers screenings to eligible women ages 40 and older, as well as women ages 35 to 39 who have a physician’s prescription. Women should discuss their individual risk and screening schedule with their health care provider, the release says.