BISMARCK – To help more women access lifesaving breast cancer screenings closer to home, North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it is launching a new $1.5 million funding opportunity to support a mobile mammography unit serving rural and underserved communities in western North Dakota. For many women in western North Dakota, getting a mammogram means taking time off work, arranging transportation and traveling long distances. The funding opportunity is designed to help reduce those barriers by bringing mammography services directly into communities.

Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women during their lifetime, and early detection remains one of the most effective ways to improve outcomes, according to HHS. When breast cancer is detected early, five-year survival rates can exceed 99%.

“When preventive care is available close to home, people are more likely to use it,” said HHS Commissioner Patrick Traynor. “Where you live should not determine how easily you can access potentially lifesaving screenings. By bringing mammography services directly into rural communities, we can help more women receive recommended screenings, detect cancer earlier and improve health outcomes across North Dakota.”

Equipped with 3D mammography technology, the unit will bring advanced screening services directly to communities where access to imaging services may be limited. The goal is to increase access to recommended screenings and support earlier detection of breast cancer.

Approximately $1.5 million in first-year funding is available through the Rural Health Transformation Program. One award of about $1.5 million is expected to be made to an eligible organization serving rural western North Dakota.

Eligible applicants include integrated healthcare systems that include a hospital, outpatient clinics and support services; rural clinic or hospital systems expanding screening access across multiple counties; federally Qualified Health Centers; tribes, tribal health organizations and tribal health authorities addressing screening gaps on reservation lands.

Applications are due by June 30 at 5 p.m.

The Rural Health Transformation Program is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of a financial assistance award totaling nearly $199 million.