SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., – Employees of the Breast Health Center, Cancer Treatment Center and health information management department at Regional West are working are working together to promote the importance of mammography screening during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

They will be at the hospital’s Park Bench cafeteria October 15 through 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to hand out information, answer questions, give away door prizes and sell raffle tickets in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Among the items to be raffled during the event will be a $50 gift certificate to The Emporium, a $60 gift certificate to The Feedbarn Restaurant plus two movie passes to the Nile Theatre, a $50 gift card to Aulick’s TLC or The Spa and a breast cancer awareness kit. A 50/50 raffle will also be held.

Breast Health Center Supervisor Lanna Zulkoski, BS, RT (R) (M) (BS), hopes that their presence in the cafeteria throughout the week will bring awareness to mammography screening, which is the single most effective method of early detection.

More than 200,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year. Fortunately, significant progress in mammography technology continues to help physicians diagnose the disease in its early stages.

"An annual mammogram is recommended for women over 40 and a clinical breast examination by a health care professional should also be done on a regular basis," said Zulkoski. "Women can take charge of their own breast health by understanding their personal risks of the disease, performing a breast self exam every month and reporting any breast change promptly to their health care provider."

To schedule a mammogram at the Breast Health Center, call (308) 630-2700 and press option one.

For more information, contact the Breast Health Center at (308) 630-1148 or the Cancer Treatment Center at (308) 630-1348.

Regional West Health Services, with over 1,400 employees, provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people and communities of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota and Wyoming. With over 110 active physicians, 95 percent of whom are board certified or board eligible, plus an additional 25 consulting specialists, Regional West offers care that spans more than 40 medical specialties. Regional West Medical Center, a subsidiary of Regional West Health Services, is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and is one of only three Level II Trauma Centers in the state of Nebraska.