SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Memorial Health is offering free screening mammograms on Mondays throughout the month to help uninsured and underinsured men and women access breast cancer screenings.

Ashley Leach, a mammography technologist at Springfield Memorial Hospital, said improvements in equipment and positioning techniques have made mammograms more comfortable for patients.

“Our main job is to try to make women feel comfortable during their procedure,” Leach said.

Leach said anxiety about the procedure can be one of the biggest concerns for patients. Mammography technologists work to ease those concerns by explaining each step of the process and communicating with patients throughout the exam.

“Most people walk out saying, ‘This was not near as bad as I thought it was going to be,’” Leach said.

Memorial Health’s Mammogram Mondays program provides free screening mammograms to women 40 and older who are uninsured or underinsured. The program is available Mondays throughout October at Memorial Health’s five hospital locations.

In Springfield, appointments are available at the Baylis Building at 747 N. Rutledge St.

Appointments can be scheduled by calling 217-757-4211.

The Springfield Memorial Foundation covers the cost of the mammograms for eligible patients.

Leach said an annual screening mammogram typically takes about 30 minutes from registration through the imaging process.

Memorial Health also recommends women perform monthly self-breast exams. Women who notice abnormalities or have breast-related concerns should contact their primary care physician and discuss the appropriate next steps.

Leach said advances in mammography technology have also provided radiologists with more detailed images to help evaluate patients.

While mammograms are commonly associated with women’s breast cancer screenings, Memorial Health also performs mammograms on men, typically when they have a breast-related complaint or concern.

Leach said women 40 and older should begin receiving annual screening mammograms.

For women who are uninsured or underinsured, Mammogram Mondays provide an opportunity to receive a screening at no cost during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.