University of Tennessee Medical Center, Cancer Institute

The Breast Health Outreach Program (BHOP) at the University of Tennessee Medical Center’s Cancer Institute is a unique grant-funded program providing essential breast health services and education for women targeting 20 rural and remote counties of East Tennessee. These services are brought to women where they work, worship, gather, shop and live. Without logistical and financial hurdles to overcome, women can benefit from the health care services delivered in their community by trained, dedicated, all female staff. Through timely reminder letters, local news releases, posters, fliers, emails, church bulletins, and phone invitations, women are informed about BHOP’s schedule and services. Within each of the targeted counties, local industries, churches, senior citizen centers, health clinics, pharmacies, housing agencies, as well as other familiar settings, will be targeted as prime locations for education and screening. With the help of funding from the National Breast Cancer Foundation, UT Medical Center’s state-of-the-art mobile mammography unit can continue to provide digital screening mammograms for uninsured/underinsured women throughout East Tennessee.

“The National Mammography Program is making a difference in the lives of Appalachian women in East Tennessee. Thanks to the NBCF funding, the convenience of our 3D mobile mammography unit through this program, breast cancers are being diagnosed in uninsured women that would have otherwise gone undetected.” — John L. Bell, M.D., Director, UT Cancer Institute