MercyOne and Bras for the Cause uniting for annual Muffins and Mammograms April 11

MercyOne and Bras for the Cause are joining forces to provide potentially life-saving mammograms (plus free muffins and coffee!) to uninsured and underinsured women in central Iowa Saturday, April 11 at select central Iowa MercyOne imaging locations. 

This annual event provides women who meet eligibility criteria with a free 3D screening mammogram to check for breast cancer. Criteria include women who are uninsured or underinsured, age 40 or older, and have no history of lumps or breast complaints.  

“By offering free mammograms to uninsured or underinsured women, we remove the financial barriers to screening and increase access to preventative care which can save lives,” said Tiffany Torstenson, DO, breast surgeon and medical director for MercyOne Katzmann Breast Care.

Mammograms are the gold standard for detecting breast cancer because they are the most effective screening test available. They can find cancers at an early stage when the chances of long-term survival are highest.

“The goal of mammography is to find breast cancer before the patient notices it – so before they feel a lump or have any symptoms from it – and to find the cancer as small and as treatable as possible,” explained Torstenson.

Most lives are saved when women begin annual screening by age 40. If a patient is at higher risk of developing breast cancer due to family history or other risk factors, they should talk to their primary care provider about earlier screening.

Visit www.mercyone.org/desmoines/services/muffins-and-mammograms for more information and to request an appointment. Appointments can also be made by calling 515-222-7540.

A limited number of appointments are available between 7:30 and 11:30 a.m. at the following locations:

• MercyOne Des Moines Mammography – 411 Laurel Street, Suite 1265, Des Moines
• MercyOne Ankeny Imaging – 800 East 1st Street, Suite 1100, Ankeny
• MercyOne Clive Imaging – 1601 NW 114th Street, Suite 128, Clive