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Originally Posted by SWTXBelle
Don't most (if not all) Planned Parenthood clinics refer their clients elsewhere for mammograms? If my information is correct and that is the fact, the solution would be to support the clinics doing the actual mammograms. Here in Houston we have The Rose - http://www.the-rose.org/ |
It is very rare for clinics to have their own mammogram equipment. Clinics that support low income communities would have a hard time affording mammogram equipment, a mammography tech, the tracking software and radiologists salary to do mammography on site. Patients can't just go to a mammography clinic directly either. You have to have a primary physician. The VAST majority of services for low income women, ie. Health Units, Well Woman, PP, etc send out referrals just like your regular doctor would. They then pay the bill to the mammography center. Mostly these groups have contracts with mammography groups to care for their patients. My group sees all of Pinal County and Maricopa County Health Unit patients in Arizona. The Health Unit doesn't have it's own mammo business. BTW, there are NO free mammogram clinics in the Phoenix area. Even with the services we have, there are thousands of women who cannot get coverage for mammograms in this area.