M Health Fairview is expanding access to the latest mammogram technology

Since 1988, breast cancer deaths in Minnesota have fallen an average of 2.3 percent per year. But disparities in survival rates persist. Among Black women diagnosed with breast cancer, 86% are still alive five years later compared to 94% of non-Hispanic white or Asian women, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. One way to increase survival rates is through regular mammogram screenings.

The American Cancer Society has urged health systems to evaluate how they care for Black women, as these disparities cannot be attributed to more aggressive cancer types. In response, M Health Fairview has been working to address these inequities and make breast cancer screening more accessible.

“We recognized disparities in breast cancer screening across different populations based on race and language,” said Malay Thao, health equity consultant at M Health Fairview. “We worked with our community partners to pilot a project to improve breast cancer screening, targeting improvements in non-white and non-English speaking populations.”

One key initiative involves bringing mammogram services directly to patients. To reduce health disparities and increase access to care, M Health Fairview deployed a mobile mammography truck to three primary care clinics that don’t have on-site mammography services and where more than half of the patients are non-white and a quarter are non-English speaking. M Health Fairview also provided in-person language interpretation services to better serve these patients.

The mobile units are stationed at three clinics throughout the M Health Fairview system, including M Health Fairview Clinic - Smiley's in Minneapolis, which serves a large Somali community; M Health Fairview Clinic - Bethesda in St. Paul, with a large number of Karen patients; and M Health Fairview Clinic - Phalen Village in St. Paul, which has a substantial number of Black and Hmong patients.

These efforts have already shown positive results. Screenings for people of color increased by 14% over the previous year. From January to June of 2024, M Health Fairview saw significant improvements in screening among Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) at the clinics with increased access to mobile mammography.  

As a result, the disparity gap between our white and non-white patients narrowed by nearly 3%, from a 17.82% gap to a 15.09% gap. M Health Fairview expects to see continued improvement in screening rates with increased patient access to mobile mammography. 

Increasing access to 3D mammography

M Health Fairview has also upgraded to 3D mammography as the standard of care across the system. The mobile mammography units have been upgraded to 3D technology and all clinic locations have been updated from 2D to 3D mammography will be by early 2025.

3D mammography offers significant benefits, including:

• Improved accuracy: It significantly reduces the chances of missing small tumors, including for women with dense breast tissue.
• Fewer false positives: Patients are called back less frequently for additional testing, which reduces patient anxiety, unnecessary invasive testing procedures like biopsies, and healthcare costs.
• Widespread insurance coverage: Most insurance plans now cover 3D mammography.

The impact of the HOPE Commission

The Breast Cancer Screening project is part of a broader effort led by the M Health Fairview Healing, Opportunity, People, Equity (HOPE) Commission. This multi-year transformational effort is designed to drive more equitable outcomes and inclusive experiences for our patients, employees, and communities.

The HOPE Commission uses an anti-racist framework, actively working to identify and eliminate systemic barriers through changes in organizational structures, policies, practices, and attitudes. Through these efforts, M Health Fairview is striving to ensure that all patients receive high-quality care, regardless of race, ethnicity, or language.