Representative Stephanie Murphy Tours 26Health In Support of a Mammogram Machine

by 26Health Staff

If you’ve ever been to 26Health’s website or visited our clinic, you probably understand the full scope of our healthcare services, which is both broad and deep. On any given day, our team counsels teens in crisis or folks in the middle of a gender transition, tests walk-ins for STIs and prescribes PrEP and PEP, performs physicals for families and bloodwork for chronic care patients, places a new baby with adoptive parents in a forever home, gives treatments in our full-service spa, and balances telehealth visits with in-office care. (For a full list of our services, click here.) The only thing missing has been a mammogram machine.

Why We Don’t Have A Mammogram Machine…Yet 

Such machines are prohibitively expensive, costing up to $500,000 for a 3D version. However, the expense is worth it: expanding our capabilities to include in-house mammograms means that our patients who potentially have risk factors for breast cancer, many of whom are not comfortable with getting a mammogram in a traditional imaging center, will not need to leave the 26Health building to get this life-saving breast imaging technology. 

According to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, mammograms screening rates have plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic. This issue might be even more dire for our patients who are in need of referral for this screening. More studies are needed, but the data suggests that the LGBTQ+ community has endured worse cancer outcomes because of increased risk factors for breast cancer, a lack of cultural sensitivity, lower rates of insurance coverage, and less access to care. 

Our Mammogram Machine Will Save Lives

What we do know is that diagnosing breast cancer early saves lives. While one in eight people will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, those who are lucky enough to detect breast cancer in its first stage can expect a five-year survival rate of 99%. These stats make the passage of H.R. 4502, a federal bill that directs $250k in funds to 26Health to purchase a mammogram machine, so exciting. Our local congressperson Stephanie Murphy (7th District – Florida) shepherded this legislation, saying that she’ll “keep working with [her] Senate colleagues to get these bills to the President’s desk as quickly as possible.” Read the full press release here.

Thank You, Representative Murphy

On October 8, Representative Murphy toured 26Health and received our gratitude for her efforts to improve Central Florida health outcomes. It is our hope that the bill will receive Senate passage soon…we’ll keep you posted with updates on how soon we can offer low- and no-cost mammograms for those that have risk factors for breast cancer in our community. 

Watch Channel 9’s coverage of Murphy’s visit: