The American Italian Cancer Foundation mammogram bus was parked in front of the offices of State Assemblymember Harvey Epstein in Alphabet City this Wednesday, just off of Tomkins Square Park, offering free mammograms to the public. The AICF’s mobile mammogram unit parks in a different location around the city five days a week, and while at times it might be a challenge to figure out where it is most needed, its presence today on the Lower East Side (LES) was a no-brainer.
“We just lost a local public hospital, so it’s really critical that we have access to care,” said Epstein, speaking with La Voce on the corner of 6th Street and Avenue B, across from his district office. Beth Israel, the last hospital serving LES communities, was shut down by Mount Sinai Health earlier this month despite a seven-year legal battle from advocates, residents, and government representatives like Epstein, who managed to pass a bill in the state legislature that would have kept the hospital open, but which was vetoed by Governor Hochul. “Now that Beth Israel is closed, we want to try and get as many services as possible for the people in our community.”
Epstein said the bus was fully booked with appointments for the day, offering New Yorkers aged 40 to 79 free screenings using the latest 3D scanning technology, which can run between $400 and $800 if paid for out of pocket. One local resident who may have contributed to the full bookings for the day was Pastor Hill, a 54-year-old Christian preacher who spread the word to her network of followers, perhaps convincing those on the fence with her effusive demeanor: “when I got the email saying that Assemblyman Harvey Epstein’s office was actually having the bus come, I said ‘Yay! To God be the glory! Put me on.’”
“Sometimes you don’t get an appointment right away,” Hill said about seeking a mammogram through hospitals. “You have to wait until they have one available, and that can be months away.” She had gotten her yearly screening from conventional health care facilities, but preferred the AICF’s service since she tried it for the first time last year. “I like the fact that it was convenient,” she said, commending the staff for accommodating her physical impairments, as she gets around using a walker with a seat built in. “They helped me get on the bus, helped me get off – it was fast and to the point.”
The AICF will also be starting a prostate cancer screening program this Saturday, April 26th, at Parkside Preparatory Academy in Brooklyn, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
