Houston Mammograms: Public Invited to Celebrate, Tour Opening of Rose Galleria, February 18

HOUSTON, TX – February 3, 2010 – A 24-year-old breast cancer organization that last year delivered more than 68,000 medical and educational services to both uninsured and insured Houston-area women, will throw it’s doors open wide February 18 from 4 to 7 pm, and celebrate the grand opening of its new 8,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art Galleria location.

The public is invited.

The Rose Galleria (www.therose.org) mammography center is located at 5420 West Loop South inside the Foundation Surgical Hospital and Foundation Medical Tower near the intersection of the Southwest Freeway and Loop 610 South.

The new center will extend the reach of The Rose, which operates another diagnostic center in southeast Houston, said CEO Dorothy Weston Gibbons, who co-founded the nonprofit in 1986 with Houston surgeon Dixie Mellillo, M.D.

“Our services reduce deaths from breast cancer by providing screening, diagnostic follow-up, access to treatment, patient navigation, support and education,” said Gibbons. “We provide access to treatment for all women, regardless of their ability to pay.”

Gibbons said the key to the organization’s sustainability is simple and effective: “At The Rose, a woman with insurance actually offsets the cost of a mammogram for a woman who has none.”

Last year, the nonprofit center performed more than 43,000 screening and diagnostic procedures that served 19,500 women who have insurance or the ability to pay.

“We provided services to 8,100 uninsured women,” she said. The Rose has 80 staff members and four on-site medical staff, including two radiologists and two general surgeons. Two mobile mammography units serve the surrounding 9-county area.

Gibbons said The Rose Galleria answers Houston’s growing demand for breast care services. "Access to care is an issue for every woman – both insured and uninsured, she said. “Our new Galleria location gives us the additional capacity to provide digital imaging, including bone density. Patients get timely appointments and same-day results in a convenient location with free parking.” The growing population of women reaching breast screening age was another consideration for establishing the Galleria location, she said.

INFORMATION –The event includes informal tours, refreshments, and an opportunity to meet members of The Rose’s staff. Women can make mammogram appointments. For more information about The Rose Galleria, call (713) 668-2996, or visit www.therose.org.
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Tours, interviews and photo opportunities available to media upon request.

Contact Information

Sharon Dotson

Public Relations for The Rose

Bayou City Public Relations

Contact via E-mail