Friday, May 9, 2025
5/9/2025
Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending - Construction - Project Title: Cancer Care Mobile Van and Mammography Equipment Address: 4301 W Markham St, Little Rock, AR 72205 Project Director: Michael J. Birrer, MD, PhD Contact Phone Numbers: 501-526-2272 email: mjbirrer@uams.edu Under the leadership of Director Michael J. Birrer, MD, PhD, the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute (Cancer Institute) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is seeking to become the first NCI-designated cancer center in the state of Arkansas. To achieve designation, the Cancer Institute is committed to improving access to mammography facilities, cancer screening tools, and educational resources to underserved populations across the state. The Cancer Institute is requesting funds from the HRSA Congressionally Directed Spending Construction Project to purchase a new mobile van and mammography equipment for use in our Mobile Mammography Program. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women in Arkansas and is the second-leading cause of death for women the state. The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 2,500 females in Arkansas will be diagnosed with breast cancer and almost 400 hundred will die in 2023. Many women in the state are underserved and vulnerable, particularly those in rural areas, and lack access to adequate mammography screening services. Regular, high-quality mammograms can potentially help reduce deaths from breast cancer, and early detection can allow oncologists to begin treatment, potentially keeping the cancer from spreading to other parts of the body. Approximately 40% of counties in Arkansas lack FDA-approved certified mammography facilities and many women have to travel long distances to receive a screening mammogram, representing a significant barrier to early detection. Mobile van mammography services are available but access to early detection mammography screening is limited. Current mobile mammography services offered through the Cancer Institute only provide access to women in 26 of the 75 counties in the state. Our current mobile mammography van is staffed by a certified mammography technologist and a technical assistant. Patients and their primary care physician receive the patient’s test results within two weeks and are referred for follow-up appointments to appropriate services if results show a potential abnormality. The Mobile Mammography Program usually performs around 2000 mammograms per year; however, only 1500 mammograms were performed in 2022 due to the outdated condition of our current mobile van and unexpected equipment failure. A new mobile van equipped with the latest digital mammography equipment will help extend the reach of our current mobile mammography program, particularly to underserved and vulnerable populations in rural areas of the state. In addition, the purchase of a new mobile van will help identify early-stage breast cancers, prevent advanced-stage malignancies, and reduce healthcare disparities. The overall cost for purchasing and constructing a new mobile van is $1.75 million.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).