During October, which is breast cancer awareness month activities, Shore Health System is offering Saturday morning appointments for screening mammograms. Saturday appointments are available between 8:00 a.m. to noon at the Diagnostic and Imaging Center, 10 Martin Court in Easton. Weekday hours continue to be available in Easton and in Cambridge, Centreville and Denton.

Shore Health System recently completed installation of the GE Healthcare Senographe Digital Mammography system. This $2 million investment provides physicians with clear and precise all-digital images, which replace X-ray film. Digital mammography is now offered at The Memorial Hospital at Easton, Dorchester General Hospital, and at the Diagnostic and Imaging Centers in Easton, Denton and Centreville.

Christopher Levey, MD, Chief of Radiology for Memorial Hospital, comments, “Mammography screening is the best tool for detecting breast cancer at an early, treatable stage in women age 40 and older. A screening mammogram is a simple, low-dose X-ray procedure that can reveal breast cancer at its earliest stage, up to two years before it is large enough to be felt.”

“The best technology is only as good as the clinical professionals who use it to make medical decisions,” says Gary Bigelow, director of radiology for Shore Health System. “The Shore Health System team of radiology technologists and radiologists consists of 18 individuals with over 150 accumulated years of experience,”

Bigelow adds, “The radiology technologists who perform mammography and prepare them for review by the radiologists are certified and highly experienced in this important aspect of clinical screening and diagnosis. Many of them have seen technology evolve and are well-versed in making the transition from one system to the next, which has helped us smoothly implement digital mammography throughout Shore Health System.”

To schedule an appointment for a mammogram, call 410-822-1000, ext 2600. For more information about Shore Health System’s radiology services, visit www.shorehealth.org/services/radiology.shtml.