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Show I , , . . o - - ... j J, ... I 1 9 ' . ' Garfield Memorial Hospital now provide women's health services via the new Mobile Mammography Unit in place at the PANGUITCH - County residents res-idents may have passed a huge white mobile lab on the highway high-way recently bearing the words Garfield Memorial Hospital -Mobile Mammography Services. The sign on the side tells the story and after the unit was received earlier in the year,' it was quickly pressed into service serv-ice in March and April in Panguitch. In July the service was taken on the road, once again expanding the services offered by Garfield Memorial. The unit focuses on women's health issues, primarily serving central and southern Utah, allowing delivery of services right to the community. In between these outreach services, the mobile unit is stationed in Panguitch and provides testing locally to Garfield County and surrounding communities. Garfield Memorial Hospital and Clinics partnered with the Utah State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control to secure these important services for residents in rural Utah. . With the approval initially of a grant for $480,000 Hospital Administrator Eric Packer worked locally with owneroperator of Orton Trucking in Panguitch, Bob Orton to determine the best type of truck rig, engine, gear ratios, etc. to customize the mammography mammog-raphy unit for the hospital's needs. Packer then worked directly Panguitch facility. The services are being extended to outlying regions in Garfield and the four surrounding counties. Mobile Mammography Unit Focuses On Women's Health In Garfield Co. with a facility in Denver that had earlier taken possession of one of the units, to design the very best use of space and features. fea-tures. He also spoke with mammography mam-mography services delivery people to see what setups and design would work best for them. A tentative floor plan was formulated for the unit which houses a receptionist, mammography mammog-raphy testing services, a processor proces-sor and additional space for women's health services like breast exams, pap smears, etc. Much in the way of paperwork, paper-work, on-site visits, licensing, etc. had to be completed through last winter to map out the program and have personnel trained and certified to operate the mobile facility. Jeff and Rachel Finch moved to the Panguitch area in November 2001, where Jeff began working at the hospital lab. Rachel, an registered nurse, was busy rearing their three children. When it was learned that Rachel had extensive work in similar women's services with the Utah County Health Department in Provo and had done breast exams and pap smears from 1997-2001, she was a perfect match for the new mobile mammography unit. The hospital further identified identi-fied other personnel to assist in this new venture. X-ray technician techni-cian Gaylene Cooper works full time and is backed up by PRN mammo tech Paulette Ksiezak from Escalante on an on-callas needed basis. Jon Torgersen and John Julander swap driving duties when the unit travels to outlying regions. "Previously local residents had to travel to Cedar City, St. George or Salt Lake City for similar services," Finch explained, "so this new unit is easy, quick and convenient and such an excellent addition to services already offered by Garfield Memorial." Finch noted that they can do a mammography for any woman that walks in for service. They , take insurance plans and have additional funding possibilities through the state or medicare and there are self-pay plans that run about $128 for testing. She (See MAMMOGRAPHY pg. 2) Mammography Unit From Front Page pointed out that women under 40 years of age must have a referral from their physician and make certain their insurance will cover this service. For women over 40 there are numerous assistance programs . offered to help take advantage to these very important female services. Finch pointed out that a mammogram is suggested h full Service Itetctty &etcm for Mgn, Women, and Children. J5 South Molt) Cbnnonvtllc Utih (435 679-8932 Wolk-ln' Welcome or Call ToMakssfta flppointroenttl! iZrc-dt- X -JHsA, annually and their unit has performed per-formed up to 30 in one day as needed. Currently the mammography unit travels to Beaver, Orderville and Kanab. Plans are to offer services to five counties including Garfield, ' Wayne, Kane, Piute and Beaver. All the equipment is self-contained for testing and processing and thus far women have seemed to have excellent response to the services servic-es offered. Typically the unit will be dropped off by the drivers at a specific pre-arranged location and will stay two days on site. A client will arrange for services by reservation or may be taken on a as come, walk-in basis. They will sign in, complete some light paperwork and services serv-ices can take from 15 to 30 minutes min-utes to complete. The films go through an initial quality review by the mammogram technician then they are presented to the radiologist, Dr. William Ellingson, for the official read (See MAMMOGRAPHY pg. 5) Mammography From Page 2A ing. Finch noted how important these early screenings can be and others have credited Garfield Memorial for having tremendous "vision" and incite into the needs of area residents. A mammography test can detect and pick up lumps even earlier than personal self-breast exams. And notes Finch, "the earlier any condition is identified and . treated the more successful the outcome." |
