Unscheduled Mammogram Turns Into A "Lifesaver"

Mobile Medical Unit

Shortly after SJRMC launched its Mobile Medical Unit in 2006, the hospital’s 40-foot-long clinic on wheels, Carla Bice figured she might as well do a little leading by example. 

The vehicle, which goes into neighborhoods throughout St. Joseph and Marshall Counties providing healthcare to those who may not have a means of getting to a doctor’s office, comes complete with mammography capabilities. On this particular day, it was parked at the Sister Maura Brannick, CSC, Health Center, one of SJRMC’s clinics, located on South Bend’s near Westside. Carla is the Health Center’s Director.

“The lady who was scheduled to have a mammogram cancelled at the last minute,” explained Carla. “So, I decided to go ahead and have one done myself. I didn’t want to see the scheduled time wasted, and I was overdue to have my mammogram anyway.”

Carla’s decision to take advantage of this mammogram by chance turned out to be one of the best choices she ever made.

“After the mammogram, they found something,” Carla said. “It was very small, but they did find something.”

That small “something” prompted the radiologist to recommend a biopsy. The biopsy revealed to Carla the very early stages of breast cancer.

Seven weeks of radiation treatment and today, two years later, Carla is cancer-free.

“I was very fortunate for two reasons,” Carla said patting, the hood of the Mobile Medical Unit. “One, the Mobile Medical Unit was here and two, that lady backed out of her mammogram appointment. This big rig is my lifesaver on wheels.”

Recently, SJRMC’s Mobile Medical Unit celebrated its second birthday.

“At Saint Joseph, we are constantly working to improve the health of our communities,” said Nancy R. Hellyer, SJRMC’s President and CEO. “We welcome any opportunity to help those void of healthcare because they simply have no way of coming to us. I am proud to say that with the Mobile Medical Unit, we are coming to you.”

The state of the art Mobile Medical Unit houses a medical exam area and a digital mammography unit, plus an area for intake, information, and health education. The Mobile Medical Unit is also used in partnership with area cancer program’s, women’s health services, and community programs that welcome the vehicle to their area, and to provide corporate wellness programs on-site. And in just two years, the vehicle has traveled nearly 20,000 miles serving over 2,000 patients.

“The continued success of the Mobile Medical Unit is due to the incredible dedication of all of our Associates involved with it,” said Michelle Peters, SJRMC’s Director of Community Outreach Services. “It is really very rewarding to see the community have access to healthcare in a convenient, safe atmosphere and we look forward to the Mobile Medical Unit providing these unique services throughout the communities for years to come.”