According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, 47% of women in the U.S. delay or postpone preventive health services because of cost.

At Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Grapevine, hospital President Naman Mahajan sees that number as a call to action—one that underscores the importance of both education and access.

“One of our fundamental beliefs is that women are the health care drivers of the family,” Mahajan said. “If nearly half of women put off preventative care due to costs, ... then that sets a bad precedent for the entire family.”

He explained that stigma and lack of education often compound the issue.

“Until today, the stigma of the word cancer has [had] such a negative connotation with a lot of fear [surrounding it],” Mahajan said. “There is less education about what preventative care actually does for patients, and that causes a lot of people to delay health care, so when we do diagnose, [the cancer] is at a much later stage and is much less treatable.”

By reframing screenings as part of everyday preventive care, the hospital hopes to empower women to make decisions that protect both themselves and their families.

Treatment and support

Breast cancer remains one of the most treatable forms of cancer when caught early.

“Survival rates for breast cancer are astronomical,” Mahajan said. “In the last year, of the 14,000 breast screenings that we did, only 175 positive findings arose. 99% of the time, [we] are not going to find anything, but that peace of mind is there. [Women can] know that they have a year-over-year track history of any changes to the breast tissue.”

For those who do receive a diagnosis, Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Grapevine provides comprehensive care coordination through patient navigators.

“Patient navigators serve a unique function as a one-point stop for all cancer care coordination,” Mahajan said.

These navigators help guide patients from screening to treatment, ensuring they have personalized support and access to resources. Support extends beyond clinical treatment. The hospital partners with the American Cancer Society to offer psychosocial services, addressing emotional challenges such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and provides access to counseling, spiritual care, nutrition counseling and exercise programs to reduce recurrence risks.

Making screenings accessible

Affordability remains a major concern, but the hospital works to provide care within reach.

“We have financial counselors that will work with our patients and make sure that care is affordable for them, or if they need a payment plan, ... we offer those options,” Mahajan said.

He added that many insurance providers now include screening mammograms as part of annual well-woman exams.

Survivorship and community

Treatment, however, is not the end of the journey. Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Grapevine emphasizes survivorship, offering programs that foster camaraderie and healing.

“Our fundamental belief is that treatment is not the end of your cancer journey,” Mahajan said. “Every year, we host a Cancer Survivors Day, and it is very well attended. It really shows the tenacity of our patients ... and how they can come out stronger on the other side.”

Ultimately, the message is one of empowerment through prevention. Mahajan encourages the community to think of breast cancer screenings as an essential part of routine health.

“We need to remove the impact of the word cancer and call them preventative health care screens,” Mahajan said. “This should be considered part of an individual’s annual physical.”

Click here to schedule your preventive health care screening today.

Physicians provide clinical services as members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Scott & White Health’s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and do not provide clinical services as employees or agents of Baylor Scott & White Health or those medical centers.

The above story was produced by Multi-Platform Journalist Sydney Heller with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.