December 30, 2022
Bangor, Maine, St. Joseph Healthcare – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that $708,000 was secured for St. Joseph Healthcare to upgrade mammogram equipment in the Fiscal Year 2023 Health and Human Services appropriations bill. The omnibus funding package passed the Senate by a vote of 68-29 and the House 225-201. It will now be heading to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
“We are so grateful to our Senators, Senator Collins and Senator King, for their continued support of St. Joseph Healthcare and for their advocacy in ensuring this funding was included in the Fiscal Year 2023 Health and Human Services appropriations bill,” stated Mary Prybylo, President of St. Joseph Healthcare.
team members.
“Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths among American women, and nearly 90 percent of cases are metastatic breast cancer,” said Senator Collins. “This critical investment will ensure patients living in the Bangor region can receive the quality care and support they deserve. I strongly advocated for this upgraded mammography equipment at St. Joseph Hospital to help prevent, detect, and treat all forms of breast cancer.”
According to the American Cancer Society, in the U.S. about 1 in 8 women and 1 in 833 men will develop breast cancer over the course of a lifetime. With 2D mammogram technology, more than 1 in 10 women screened for breast cancer have an abnormal mammogram and are called back for further tests and procedures, such as a biopsy. Only 5% called back have cancer, meaning that in addition to the financial costs, 95% of the women called back experience emotional and psychological impacts associated with false positive mammograms. The newest 3D technology available reduces the number of false positive results.
This congressional funding will support St. Joseph Healthcare’s acquisition of Senographe Pristina 3D equipment and further St. Joseph Healthcare’s ongoing commitment to providing best in class mammography services to all in the greater Bangor region. Earlier this year, with the support of generous donors and grant funding provided by the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation, St. Joseph Healthcare upgraded its 3D mammography system with new ProFound Artificial Intelligence. ProFound AI’s features enable earlier detection of cancer with greater precision, leading to improved treatment and outcomes for patients.
See news coverage on News Center Maine Ch.2 and WABI Ch.5
Learn more:
- St. Joseph Upgrades 3D Mammography Technology
- Regional Breast Care Center
- 3D Mammography
- Screenings and Services
About St. Joseph Healthcare
St. Joseph Healthcare, a member of Covenant Health, was founded in 1947 by the Felician Sisters with a mission to support the overall wellness and healing of a patient’s mind, body, and spirit. Located in Bangor, Maine, St. Joseph Healthcare is a 112-bed acute care community hospital supported by a network of primary care providers and specialists focused on delivering personalized medicine. St. Joseph Healthcare employs more than 1,000 people in more than 30 departments. Our dedicated people extend the very best care to others by living our holistic mission every day…a mission that encompasses compassion, competence and community.