April Showers Bring May Flowers…and a Mammogram!
It's May...already. And Spring is in the air. It's that time of year when we see new beginnings. Spring has sprung and the cherry blossoms are blooming; Graduations are upon us and wedding bells are starting to chime. And most notably, May brings Mothers' Day!
We all know the market that Hallmark has on this special day. So why don't we take advantage of this month in the medical area and market our breast centers, inviting all women to get a mammogram? I can't think of a better gift to give a mother, sister, aunt--and whoever that special "like-a-mother someone" is to you--than a mammogram.
Years ago when I was a manager of a breast center we did exactly that: encouraged our community to support the women in their lives on Mother's Day to get a mammogram as a gift. We gave discounts to people who couldn't afford it, and also created special funding for those who had no insurance at all for the entire month of May. We had a local florist donate flowers and miniature plants to the breast center to distribute to the women who had their mammogram-a gesture to say "thank you."
We also made our education department available to women and their guests, inviting them to take time to visit and ask questions of a nurse or mammographer and read brochures and literature. (This would be a terrific idea if you have digital or are planning it soon to educate and interest patients on the new technology!)
Patients responded favorably to the services we provided that month and encouraged us to do it the following year--and we did, for several! We took the time to show we care and dedicated it to women...not just in the breast cancer awareness month of October but May also. (This really should be every month; the disease doesn't pick a month.)
I invite all of you to make this Mother's Day a special one for you community at your breast center. Let the women know you care and how important a mammogram is. It may provide early detection of breast cancer, allowing many more Mother's Days to follow. What better way to show you care!
Have you had a mammogram? The pink ribbon at birth is the pink ribbon of hope for the future.