Women’s Health Center to provide free mammograms

The Women’s Health Center at Mercy Regional Medical Center, 3700 Kolbe Road in Lorain, will provide free mammograms and clinical breast exams from 7:30 a.m. to noon, Oct 6.

Women who are ages 40 and older and are either low-income, uninsured or under-insured can benefit from the program, organizers said.

“We have grant money from various sources and it’s to provide free mammograms for those uninsured or under-insured, like those who can’t afford high deductibles or copays,” said Debbie Kime, Mercy Health’s patient intake representative.

Dr. Beverly Paige is affiliated with Mercy Health and volunteers to provide the free mammograms and clinical breast exams for the event, usually held two to three times a year, Kime said.

After test results come in, patients may return to Mercy Health for additional testing if results are inconclusive or be referred

to a surgeon for consultation and biopsy for suspicious, potentially malignant lumps, she said.

Men also are at risk of breast cancer, but Kime said the Health Center’s breast examination patients remain predominantly female.

In the eight years she has been with the health center, Kime said three or four men have been examined.

Kime said the Women’s Health Center also provides free mammograms daily to those that qualify as a part of their services.

The event usually can handle around 18 to 20 people and Kime said it is often booked solid.

“Right now, I have 15 scheduled,” Kime said Oct. 3. “And we still have three days left. I’m gonna have to turn people away.”

The need for free services is ever present in the county, she said.

“Lorain County has one of the highest instances of breast cancer in the state of Ohio,” Kime said.