Mission Mammography

For Immediate Release Contact: Dorothy Smith
October 28, 2008 Smith Marketing

Knoxville, TN…Mission Accomplished! WIVK and Knoxville Comprehensive Breast Center’s Mission: Mammography event provided 107 free mammograms for women without insurance at Knoxville Center Mall on Thursday, October 16th in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness month.

The 107 free screenings were done at KCBC in one day. Gentry Trailways provided free transportation from Knoxville Center Mall to KCBC. The women were from 22 cities in Tennessee: Athens (1), Blaine (3), Calhoun (1), Clinton (1), Corryton (7), Dandridge (3), Gatlinburg (1), Jefferson City (4), Knoxville (64), Kodak (2), LaFollette (1), Lenoir City (3), Louisville (2), Luttrell (1), Maryville (1), Maynardville (4), Newport (1), Oak Ridge (1), Philadelphia (1), Riceville (1), Rockwood (1), and Sevierville (2). One lady came from Meridian, Mississippi who was a victim of Hurricane Katrina.

There were 98 women who had no insurance and 9 had insurance with high deductibles and could not afford to have a screening mammogram. It was the first time that 19 of the women had ever had a mammogram and 42 women were repeats from last years’ Mission: Mammography event.

All of the 107 screenings have been read by KCBC’s clinical breast radiologists and 18 of the mammograms detected results that were suspicious which will need further evaluation. “Thanks to everyone who made Mission: Mammography possible,” said Dr. Kamilia Kozlowski, CEO of Knoxville Comprehensive Breast Center. “Mammograms can detect cancer early which does save lives and this is our effort to give back to the community.” Other sponsors of the event were Knoxville News Sentinel, Gentry Trailways, Simon Malls, Chick-Fil-A, Food City, Hardee’s and Krispy Kreme.

Mission: Mammography is funded by the non-profit Kim Rowden Breast Cancer Memorial Fund. Donations can be made to the fund by calling 865-584-0291.