New Women’s Mobile Unit Will Reduce Barriers to Breast Cancer Screening

Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic has taken delivery of a new Women’s Mobile Unit. It is equipped with both an exam room and a digital mammography room and is the first of its kind for the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic mobile fleet. It was purchased with an eye towards reducing deaths from breast cancer by making screenings and mammograms more easily accessible for our patients.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death for Hispanic women and more than 65 percent of the patients at Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic are Hispanic. In addition, Hispanic women are more likely than white women to be diagnosed with breast cancer at later stages when it’s more difficult to treat.

“Women don’t seek the care they need because we’re always taking care of others,” said Maria Benavides, Outreach Program Director at Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic.  “We don’t put ourselves first.”

This results in one in two women not getting their annual breast exams even though patients have a 99 percent survival rate when the breast cancer is detected early.

The staff of the Women’s Mobile Unit will help increase early breast cancer detection rates and save lives throughout the Yakima Valley. Like our other mobile unit staff members, they require unique skill sets and must enjoy traveling throughout our community to deliver care.

“We need people who want a little more adventure, people who are passionate about the field and want to work out in the community,” said Benavides.

The Women’s Mobile Unit will travel to our clinics in Yakima, Toppenish, and Grandview. It will provide increased access to care that will reduce the need to refer patients out, improving health outcomes and saving our patients time and money.

“This is something we need to do,” said Christy Trotter, Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic CEO. “It’s not just about access, it’s about equity, compassion, and doing what’s right.”