by LEAH KEMPLE
News Editor

In our society, some could say that boobs are important. In an effort to preserve them, UCM Health Center is partnering with Western Missouri Medical Center to put on a mammogram clinic through Sept. 26-28 in honor of breast cancer awareness.

The event is open to UCM faculty, staff, spouses, retirees and students, age 35 and older.

Office worker, Pam Bennett, is in charge of the event along with medical office coordinator, Lacey Schmidt, and physician and director, Gerianne Bliss. The three health center employees are working in conjunction to the Western Missouri Medical Center to make the event happen.

They have organized a system where patients make an appointment with WMMC and then call the health center to ensure that there will be a bus there to transport patients from the health center to the hospital.

“Lots of ladies don’t have the time to set up appointments and this makes it easier to get there and know how important mammograms are,” Bennett said.

Kerri Lewis, development specialist at WMMC, said the hospital is offering a 3D mammogram for the first time. There is a $50 fee for the 3D mammograms.

The hospital acquired 3D mammogram machines in January 2015. A press release put out by WMMC said the technology is proven to detect breast cancer better than traditional 2D mammography alone.

The images taken during the mammogram are assembled into a 3D study so doctors can see the breast tissue in fine detail; clearly through breast tissue that may be overlapping; or through the tissue of women with dense breasts.

According to the American Cancer Society, only two to four mammogram screenings in 1,000 lead to a diagnosis of breast cancer, however, the ACA has also estimated that 40,610 women will die from breast cancer in 2017.

This is the first time the university health center has done an event like this with the local hospital.

The health center will also be putting on Ladies Night Out from 5 to 8 p.m in the Union Ballroom Oct. 5. The event is free and is designed to educate women on the risk of breast cancer, the importance of early detection and to schedule annual screenings.

Ladies Night Out will hold prizes, massages, makeup and hair tutorials along with demonstrations on how to detect a breast lump.

To make an appointment call 660-747-7370.