$708,000 for St. Joseph Hospital Mammogram Equipment Secured by Senator Collins in Funding Bill in First Key Step

Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a senior member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she secured $708,000 for St. Joseph Hospital to upgrade mammogram equipment in the draft Fiscal Year 2023 Health and Human Services appropriations bill.  The bill, which was officially released by the full Senate Appropriations Committee today, must still be voted upon by the full Senate and House.

“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.  As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to champion this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.”

According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 in 8 U.S. 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 funding would support St. Joseph Hospital’s acquisition of Senographe Pristina 3D equipment to provide the highest quality of imaging services for the early detection of breast cancer and meet the growing demand for these services.