Leh Women’s Center installs new mammography machine

The Leh Women’s Center team sees nearly 500 patients a month for screening and diagnostic mammograms. This past January, the hospital decided to upgrade the Leh Women’s Center’s nine-year-old machine. The new Senographe Pristina was installed in early April and went online with its first patients undergoing mammography on April 12.

“We are excited about the upgrade of our mammography machine,” said Dennis Welsh, vice president, Rural Health Transformation, and executive director, UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown. “We are up-and-running with a brand-new unit, operated by the same highly skilled, compassionate and experienced staff you have trusted all along.”

UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown’s leadership and Leh Women’s Center mammography team members held a pink ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the addition of the new machine.

“We are offering patients an exam that is more comfortable and accurate, and the patient can be confident in their results,” said Penny Olivi, Director, Radiology Services, UM Shore Regional Health. “I am excited we can offer this new, state-of-the-art machine to our Leh Women’s Center patients and our Kent County community.”

Screening mammograms are a necessary preventive measure in maintaining breast health. A mammogram screening is appropriate for all who are considered high risk due to family history of breast cancer or other factors, and any patient over age 40. Using an X-ray to take pictures of the breast, the screening is used to detect the presence of breast cancer, even in those patients who have no sign or symptom of the disease. Getting a routine breast exam and annual screening mammogram can help detect cancer early, improving the chance it can be treated successfully.

Leh Women’s Center Lead Mammography Technologist Connie Branham, RT (R) (M), CN-BI, said it was early detection that caught her own breast cancer in 2020.

“The Leh Women’s Center has paved the way in cutting-edge mammography technology on the Eastern Shore,” Branham said. “My cancer was found early thanks to mammography. Early detection is key. I am also fortunate in that my entire breast cancer team is all within Shore Regional Health.”

Branham said she and her entire team have advanced certification in mammography. Branham also has additional certification in Breast Imaging Patient Navigation from the National Consortium of Breast Centers.

In 2013, the Leh Women’s Center at UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown was the first UM Shore Regional Health facility to begin offering 3D mammography technology to patients. Today, all UM Shore Regional Health diagnostic centers have 3D mammography technology.

To schedule a mammogram at the Eleanor and Ethel Leh Women’s Center in Chestertown, patients should contact their primary care physician or women’s health physician for a screening mammogram order and then call Central Scheduling at 443-225-7474 to schedule an appointment. UM SRH customer service representatives are trained to assist patients in finding the best location to fit their medical imaging needs, so they can take care of all of their imaging orders, close to home, in as few visits as possible.

Information regarding our other Diagnostic and Imaging locations is also available by visiting umshoreregional.org.