VA Pittsburgh encourages Veterans to access breast health services during Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Localized breast cancer has a 99% survival rate if detected early.

Wear Pink Day at VAPHS is Friday, Oct. 29. We encourage Veterans, visitors and staff who are at our Pittsburgh campuses and outpatient clinics that day to wear pink in honor of those who have or have had breast cancer, and to encourage others to have screening mammograms. Our Women Veterans Program coordinator will be available from 8 a.m. to noon at our University Drive campus to discuss mammography and women’s health.

“VA encourages all women Veterans to speak with their health care providers about breast health and get checked and treated for breast cancer,” said Nicole McCune, Women Veterans Program manager. “We recognize that some Veterans may have missed their regularly scheduled mammogram due to COVID-19 and encourage women Veterans to reach out to their VA health care provider to get one scheduled.”

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and throughout the year, VAPHS offers high quality women’s health care, including breast care services.

“VA leads the nation’s health care systems in providing mammograms to those who need them,” McCune said. “Every VA medical center has a Women Veterans Program manager to ensure women Veterans have access to appropriate care and treatment.”

VAPHS performs screening mammograms at the University Drive campus and coordinates any other needed breast imaging or procedures through the Office of Community Care. VA Pittsburgh has a multidisciplinary team on staff to provide comprehensive breast cancer care, including medical and radiation oncologists. 

Breast care resources available through VA include screening and diagnostic mammograms, breast ultrasound and MRI, genetic counseling and testing, cancer treatment and more. VA recommends regular breast cancer screening for women who are 45 years of age and older, though some women may choose to start screening with yearly mammograms as early as age 40. Women should talk with their VA primary care provider team about what is best for them.

Veterans using VA Pittsburgh for their care do not need a physician’s consult and may schedule routine screening mammograms directly by calling 412-360-3306 or walk in and request one from our Radiology Department at University Drive weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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ABOUT VA PITTSBURGH HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) is one of the largest and most progressive VA health care systems in the nation. More than 4,000 employees serve nearly 80,000 veterans every year, providing a range of services from complex transplant medicine to routine primary care. VAPHS is a leader in virtual care delivery through telehealth technology; a center of research and learning with 118 research investigators and $13.2 million in funding; and a provider of state-of-the-art health care training to some 1,500 student trainees annually. VAPHS provides care at medical centers in Oakland and O’Hara Township in Pennsylvania and five outpatient clinics in Belmont County, Ohio, and Beaver, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties in Pennsylvania. Veterans can call 412-360-6162 to check eligibility or enrollment. Stay up to date at pittsburgh.va.gov, Facebook and Twitter.

Sheila Tunney, Public Affairs Specialist

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