The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County (DOH-Escambia) will host the 3D Mobile Mammography bus tomorrow to provide free or low-cost mammograms. So far, dozens of eligible women have pre-registered for the screenings, which will take place at the Health and Hope Clinic on Olive Road.
The cancer screenings are funded through FDOH’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection program. Locally, Escambia County is the latest to offer 3D Mobile Mammography, which is a service of MammoLink. The Tampa-based company operates five state-of-the-art mobile units that travel to communities, schools, workplaces, and clinical partners across the state.
One of the buses, which all have weather-related names, provided breast cancer screenings in Okaloosa County in March. A bus, dubbed FEMA, visited Santa Rosa County last month.
“This is actually the smallest bus in our fleet,” said Belinda Martinez, director of partner relations and strategic operations for MammoLink, beginning a short tour of the bus. “When we have breast ultrasounds, this is the room that we use. This is the bed; we open it up. This is our breast ultrasound machine.”
The mobile unit also includes two dressing rooms and a mammography room.
“This is our Mammogram machine; it’s a Hologic,” Martinez continued. “It’s the same machine that’s used in hospitals and in regular brick and mortar facilities. In terms of industry standards, Hologic and its 3D.”
Breast screenings on this mobile mammography unit are identical to procedures that are performed in hospitals and other dedicated breast centers. But Martinez says their operation is more efficient, thanks in part to pre-registration and pre-screening for eligibility. Women must be state residents, at least 40 years old, have little or no health insurance, and meet income guidelines.
“If all the paperwork is completed, they just say their name at the front, and they come right in to have their test done,” she said, pointing out that a typical mammogram can take anywhere between seven and 12 minutes. “We give all of our results within 24 hours, but mostly the same day.”
Helping to organize and oversee the breast cancer screening event is Dr. Justice Mbizo, professor of Public Health and Epidemiology at the University of West Florida. He also serves as principal investigator and coordinator for the Northwest Florida Cancer Control Collaborative, which covers 18 counties from the Panhandle east to the Big Bend area.
“This is an initiative that is provided by the state through the Department of Health. And they have deployed a number of buses to tour the region and do screening for at-risk women in this particular region, ages 40 and above, for both breast and cervical cancer,” said Dr. Mbizo. “So that we can, hopefully, detect these diseases early and afford the residents of this great state opportunities for effective treatment and improved quality of life.”
Mbizo received a small state contract of just over $16,000 for his work with the region’s cancer control collaborative, with a primary goal of generating public awareness about early detection and screening events.
“Most of my tasks and what I spend my days doing is to develop and identify health education artifacts,” he said. “It could be brochures, posters, PowerPoint presentations, or going to groups and giving a talk about the magnitude of this problem and what effort each of us can contribute to making the disease burden come down in our area.”
In 2022, the latest data available on FDOH’s database, Florida Health Charts, the age-adjusted rate per 100,000 of female breast cancer incidence in the state was 134.6. Locally, Walton County was just one over the state average (135.53), with Escambia and Santa Rosa, each at just over 149 per 100,000. Franklin County had an adjusted rate of just over 179, the highest rate across the Northwest and Big Bend areas.
In particular, Dr. Mbizo expressed concern about a troubling trend in his 18-county catchment area, including the state’s three western-most and most populous counties.
“In Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties, and many of the other regions in the Northwest Florida Panhandle space, we see higher rates or proportions of persons diagnosed with breast cancer in late stages,” he stated.
For example, in 2022, the percentage of female breast cancer cases at advanced stage when diagnosed exceeded the state average of 30.3 in half of the 18 counties served by the Northwest Florida Cancer Control Collaborative. The rates for advanced stage diagnosis in Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa were 33.3%, 35.5%, and 34.9%, respectively. Again, Franklin County was tops in the catchment area with a rate of 46.2 percent.
East Milton resident Terri Parish, whose family has a history of breast cancer, understands the value of the opportunity for early detection.
“It’s priceless,” said Parish. “There are so many women out there that are having hard times, and it helps. You know if you catch breast cancer early, it’s easier to treat than if it just takes over. And, if you check it out every year, then you can keep on top of it.”
Parish was one of 21 individuals to receive a mammogram on the MammoLink bus in Santa Rosa County. Twenty-five showed up for breast cancer screenings in Okaloosa County. As of this Monday, Dr. Mbizo was excited to report that more than 60 women had pre-registered for tomorrow’s event in Escambia County, with women from neighboring counties welcome also.
Already, the state has increased the number of events across the Panhandle from four in 2025 to 15 in 2026. A great turnout, he says, should continue to enhance the value of the events moving forward.
“I don’t know for sure, but I would suggest that any positive outcome, logically, would create an opportunity for those who control the purses, particularly at the state or federal level, to funnel resources in our direction, recognizing that we embraced the collective effort of our society and community to make a positive impact in the lives of people,” Mbizo said.
The 3D Mobile Mammography bus will be at the Health and Hope Clinic (1718 E. Olive Road) in Escambia County from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. A similar event will be held in Freeport in Walton County on Friday.
Additionally, Mbizo, who has lost family members to breast cancer, says he’s committed to doing everything he can to keep the screening program going, including plans to bring the bus back to Escambia County before the program ends in June.
“I have children here, have three girls; the oldest is 20. I ain’t got time to be quiet,” he said.
