Iredell Mammography Fund Brings Relief to Those Without Insurance

Diane Alsop dodged a scare two years ago when an anomaly in her mammogram was determined to not be breast cancer.

But that anomaly, diagnosed as atypical hyperplasia, a precancerous condition, wouldn’t have been detected without a mammogram. And Alsop, with no health insurance, would not have received that potentially life-saving test without a fund through the Women’s Health Center at Iredell Memorial Hospital.

The Iredell Mammography Fund was established to provide mammograms to women who need financial assistance with the services.

“They may have no insurance at all, or perhaps a deductible that is so high it still creates a financial hardship for them,” said Lois Beckett, mammography supervisor for IMH.

The funds are generated locally and stay local, used only for services rendered, Beckett said. Money comes from donations and fundraisers.

Beckett said she hears the relief in women’s voices when they learn about the program.

That relief is something Alsop, who lives in Mooresville, experienced in 2014. A patient at the HealthReach Clinic in Mooresville, Alsop learned of the program. It had been six years since she’d had a mammogram. She said she knew she needed the test, but without insurance, she simply couldn’t afford it.

The mammography fund, she said, provided that reassurance that she could get tested.

She went to get her mammogram and, at first, got the all clear. A second look revealed the anomaly and that led to an ultrasound.

She said the spots were scattered and difficult to pick up, even with the ultrasound. A surgical biopsy, the last resort, she said, led to the diagnosis of atypical hyperplasia.

“I did not have cancer, but it was precancerous and put me at a higher risk,” she said.

Alsop said she ultimately underwent outpatient surgery and is now doing fine. But without the availability of that mammogram, the outcome might have been different.

She said the entire process at Iredell Memorial Hospital was positive, and praised everyone involved in her treatment.

“Lois Beckett and all of her staff were very good, very caring,” she said. “I cannot say enough good things about them.”

Alsop also has good words for those who donate to the mammography fund.

“I am very grateful to them. I am humbled by all of the people who want to donate. I want them to know it goes to people that really need help and that they are possibly saving a life,” she said.

For more information about the fund, contact Beckett at 704-878-4551 or Lois.Beckett@iredellhealth.org.