Passavant Receives Donation to Improve Breast Cancer Screening

By Jeremy Coumbes on October 2, 2020 at 12:45pm

Becky McClellan, RT(R)(M), left, and Amanda Vortman, RT(R)(M), mammography technicians, show the Smart Curve paddle.

Passavant Area Hospital is benefactor of a recent donation by an area foundation just as breast cancer awareness month gets underway.

The Passavant Area Hospital Foundation announced today it is the recipient of a $12,500 gift from the Mia Ware Foundation.

Pam Martin, Executive Director of the Foundation says the gift has been used to add the Smart Curve Technology to the Imaging Services department.

Amanda Vortman, lead mammography technician for Passavant says the Smart Curve changes the flat surface of the exam paddle to a cylinder shape to conform to a woman’s breast. She says the curve helps to distribute the pressure evenly allowing the technician to increase compression to a achieve a better image without causing extra pain to the patient.

The Mia Ware Foundation has previously partnered with Passavant to improve mammography technology and services. In 2015, the Mia Ware Foundation gave a $100,000 gift to assist in the purchase of the 3D tomosynthesis mammography unit.

Foundation also provides screening mammograms each year to patients in the Passavant service area who cannot afford the screening.