Mammovan makes inaugural tour of state

The newly purchased and equipped Mammovan will begin service to Nevada rural areas on Wednesday with a special stop at the Governor's Mansion.

Nevada first lady Dema Guinn will host an open house for the Nevada Rural Health Centers project and accompany the van on its inaugural road trip.

"The fund-raising committee has worked for several years in search of a way to provide clinical breast exams and mammography screening to minority and under- served women in Nevada," she said.

She credited efforts by U.S. Senate candidate John Ensign for helping raise the money for the van.

"Now that the van is in the process of being purchased, it will be the role of the Breast Cancer Fund-raising Committee to focus on followup treatment for minority and under served women who need it," she said.

The van will visit several northern Nevada communities Wednesday to give the public a chance to tour the unit, beginning at 9 a.m. at the governor's mansion. It will then head to Reno, Fernley and Yerington.

The Mammovan will travel Nevada providing mammography, pap smear, osteoporosis screening and other health services.

Shirley Fehr of Nevada Rural Health Centers said the van will be based in Las Vegas February through June, providing health screenings in under-served areas of Clark County as well as other parts of the south.

In July, Fehr said, it will move to the Reno-Carson City area to serve the northern part of the state.

Guinn said the Breast Cancer committee has also set aside $45,000 for follow-up treatment for women and plans to raise up to $300,000 more for future treatment programs.