Sonoma Valley Hospital Now Offers State-Of-The-Art 3D Mammography

April 4, 2018

Sonoma Valley Hospital has announced that it is now offering 3D Mammography to women in the community. The service is located in a new mammography suite within the hospital.

The new system has been provided to the hospital through the generosity of community members and private foundations, who donated $535,000 for its purchase and installation through a campaign organized by the Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation, according to Dave Pier, Foundation Executive Director.

“Once again, our community has stepped up to support its hospital and ensure we have the latest and best technology,” said Pier. “And because of ongoing support for Project Pink, all women in Sonoma Valley will have access to the new technology regardless of their insurance coverage or ability to pay.”

Project Pink is a special program supported by the Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation that each October offers no-cost mammogram screenings for uninsured and underinsured Sonoma Valley women over the age of 40

3D mammography, also known as digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), is an FDA-approved process that utilizes the newest technology that creates a 3D image of the breast, which allows for more careful examination of breast tissue. This state of art technology helps with early detection of breast cancer and to avoid false positives compared with traditional mammography, which obtains just a single 2D image.

The system SVH has purchased uses advanced technology found in many of the country’s leading cancer hospitals. According to the manufacturer, the technology results in a 41 percent increase in invasive cancer detection and a 40 percent reduction in false positives compared with 2D technology. This reduces the unnecessary anxiety of call backs resulting from false positives.

“The new mammography system is one of several steps we are taking to expand services for women,” said CEO Kelly Mather. “We also recently introduced A Woman’s Place at Sonoma Valley Hospital, offering a broad range of specialty health care and preventive services just for women provided by three obstetrician-gynecologists and a breast surgeon.”

Mather noted that there were several reasons to move mammography back into the hospital from its previous location at a nearby office. “The new mammography suite required considerable build-out costs, and it was more cost-effective to do that within the hospital, especially as having it here allows women easy access to other services. We see it as a first step in our efforts to create a more patient-centered and efficient imaging center in the coming years,” she said.

Women who wish to use the service should consult their physician for a referral and to schedule an appointment.