News & Media
Local access to mammograms is now possible in Franklin County through new services offered at Weems Memorial Hospital (WMH). An open house for the new mammography room was hosted Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024.
“This was a great opportunity for us to create access to care and provide a much-needed service to our community,” said WMH CEO David Walker. “Until now, individuals would have to travel up to 60 miles for a mammogram, but now this service is available right here at home.”
The addition of mammography services and equipment were made possible through a USDA Rural Development Health Care grant for $258,500 with a match of $137,250 provided by Franklin Needs, Inc., a local nonprofit organization that helps fund breast cancer support services for Franklin County residents. Franklin Needs president Jessica Sparks said that in addition to the donation for the mammography equipment, the group is committed to helping cover ongoing costs associated with the equipment and services. “We’re not a big community but when we come together, we do big things,” she said.
More than 60 mammograms have been done so far at WMH, and that number is growing. The GE Senographe Pristina 3D Mammography System provides outstanding detail and superior diagnostic accuracy with state-of-the-art 2D and 3D capabilities that can be done with or without contrast.
“Oftentimes major roadblocks to successful cancer treatment are access to care and early detection,” said Patrick Conrad, MD. “Adding this capability locally removes a major barrier to access and can save lives.”
Weems Memorial board chair Duffie Harrison commended all involved. “This is a true joint effort, and we sincerely appreciate the partnership and support of Franklin Needs, USDA and the Franklin County Board of Commissioners.”
To schedule a mammogram at Weems Memorial, call 850 653-8853 Ext. 119.
Franklin Needs is a non-profit organization committed to providing free mammograms and help with qualifying expenses for under-insured and uninsured residents of Franklin County, Fla. For more information or to inquire about assistance call (678) 772-7304 or visit their website www.franklinneeds.com.
Mrs. George Weems cutting the ribbon at the official opening of the George E. Weems Memorial Hospital June 21, 1959.
This year, Weems Memorial Hospital celebrates 65 years of continuous service to the citizens of Franklin County and the surrounding area. Weems opened June 21, 1959 in its current location on Washington Square, but it was not Apalachicola’s first hospital. Historians note that Apalachicola’s first hospital was actually a renovated Army barracks building at the airport with 13 beds, a small obstetrical wing and a procedure suite. That hospital provided care from 1948 until Weems Memorial was completed and opened with 25 beds at the present site in 1959.
The site of the current Weems Hospital was once the site of the original Franklin County Courthouse. The courthouse structure was later converted into the health department and operated as such until it was demolished in 1957 to make way for the new hospital which exists there today.
Weems Memorial Hospital was named after Dr. George Emberson Weems who began his medical practice in Apalachicola in 1909 in the rear of Robbins Drug Store. Dr. Weems exemplified the role of the country doctor by seeing many patients in their home, and his dining room table was even used for late-night emergency surgeries.
Weems Memorial Hospital now offers digital mammography services thanks to a $258,500 USDA Rural Development Health Care grant and a matching donation of $137,250 from Franklin Needs, Inc., a local nonprofit organization that helps fund breast cancer support services for Franklin County residents.
For the past 10 years, Franklin Needs has hosted the annual Pink Out event on St. George Island that raised money to help fund mammograms and breast cancer support services. President Jessica Sparks said that in addition to the donation for the mammography equipment, the group has committed to help cover ongoing costs associated with the equipment and services. “We’re not a big community but when we come together, we do big things,” she said.
“The sooner you discover breast cancer, the better your odds are for full recovery,” said Dr. Patrick Conrad, Weems Emergency Room Director. “Early detection is key and while monthly self-exams are important, a mammogram can pick up tumors that the most careful self-exam will miss. If you are over 35, or if women in your family have had breast cancer, talk to your primary care provider today about whether you should have a mammogram. The sooner you look for it, the sooner you can cure it.”
Franklin Needs is a non-profit organization committed to providing free mammograms and help with qualifying expenses for under-insured and uninsured residents of Franklin County, Fla. For more information or to inquire about assistance call (678) 772-7304 or visit their website www.franklinneeds.com.
Equipment
The GE Senographe Pristina 3D Mammography system provides outstanding detail and superior diagnostic accuracy with the same low dose as a 2D exam.
