YORK – Capital Blue Cross and WellSpan Health today announced
a collaboration to increase access to breast cancer screenings in rural and
underserved communities across South Central Pennsylvania.
Capital
Blue Cross will provide $250,000 over the next three years to help fund
WellSpan’s recently
launched mobile mammography motor coach. This financial support will provide funding for
hundreds of mammograms across Adams, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York
counties. About 16,000 women between ages 50 and 75 residing in these counties
have not had a mammogram in the last two years.
“Too
many women are at higher risk of breast cancer because they lack easy access to
routine screenings, so we’ve found a way to bring this life-saving resource to
them,” said Capital Blue Cross President and CEO Todd Shamash. “Access to
trusted, quality healthcare shouldn’t be dictated by your ZIP Code, and this
mobile mammography unit helps break down barriers to care.”
The
American Cancer Society recommends women start getting mammograms at the age of
40, but access to affordable screenings is often a barrier to receiving a
potentially life-saving diagnosis. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed
cancer among American women, and early detection leads to better health
outcomes and better treatment options.
“Preventive
screenings are essential to early diagnosis of breast cancer, and with Capital
Blue Cross, we will be able to provide convenient mammograms to those friends
and neighbors who need it most,” said Roxanna Gapstur, Ph.D., R.N., president
and chief executive officer, WellSpan Health. “This is just one more way
WellSpan and Capital Blue Cross are providing greater value in our region by
inspiring health through accessible, affordable care for all.”
WellSpan’s
dedicated team on the motor coach can complete each private screening in less
than 15 minutes, using advanced three-dimensional mammography technology that
allows for clearer images of breast masses, making it easier to detect breast
cancer.
This
effort is the latest collaboration between Capital Blue Cross and WellSpan to
improve healthcare access and quality while reducing costs. A Capital Blue
Cross Connect health and wellness
center on WellSpan’s Chambersburg campus offers walk-in healthcare
consultations, and a second center will open later this year in York. The two
entities also recently launched joint Medicare
Advantage products for 2022
designed to enhance quality of care, reduce costs and provide access to doctors
and hospitals across the country.
For
more information about the mobile mammography coach, visit www.WellSpan.org/GoMammo.
About
Capital Blue Cross
Capital
Blue Cross serves a 21-county region in Central Pennsylvania and the
Lehigh Valley by offering health insurance products, services and technology
solutions that provide peace of mind to consumers and promote health and
wellness for our members. The company delivers innovative solutions through a
family of diversified businesses to create healthier lives and lower healthcare
costs. Among these solutions are patient-focused care models, leading-edge data
analytics and digital health technologies. Additionally, Capital Blue Cross
Connect health and wellness centers provide in-person service and inspiration
to help people reach their health goals. Capital Blue Cross is an independent
licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
About
WellSpan Health
WellSpan
Health is an integrated health system that serves the communities of central
Pennsylvania and northern Maryland. The organization includes a clinically
integrated network of approximately 2,600 physicians and advanced practice
providers (APPs), including more than 1,600 employed physicians and APPs; a
regional behavioral health organization; a home care organization; eight
respected hospitals; approximately 20,000 employees; and more than 200 patient
care locations. WellSpan is a charitable, mission-driven organization,
committed to exceptional care for all, lifelong wellness and healthy
communities. Visit WellSpan.org.
Contact:
Jerry Reimenschneider (Capital
Blue Cross), 717.541.7694, jreimenschneider@capbluecross.com
Ryan Coyle (Manager, Media
Relations & Communications, WellSpan Health), 717.851.3151, rcoyle@wellspan.org
