ROCHELLE — Amid Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, Rochelle Community Hospital is going above and beyond its year-round efforts this month to raise awareness, offer mammograms, and catch cases of breast cancer as early as possible, RCH Radiology Department Manager Joy Miller said Oct. 8. 

RCH offers walk-in screening mammograms year round on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In October, the hospital will also give out free breast cancer awareness-themed t-shirts designed by RCH for patients after their mammograms. 

The hospital is also getting out into the community to spread awareness this month. It worked with Rochelle Township High School’s volleyball program for its Volley for a Cure night on Oct. 8 and was at the Rock River Center in Oregon on Oct. 11 spreading awareness. Runnings in Rochelle made a donation from its Ladies Night promotion towards RCH’s All About Me program, which helps with expenses for cancer patients in the community. RTHS donated to All About Me as well after its volleyball event. 

“Our All About Me program stemmed from Breast Cancer Awareness Month and we expanded it to all of our cancer patients that we treat and those in the community to help them with paying for things like gas, food and transportation to and from their treatments,” Miller said. “Pre-COVID-19, we were in the community a lot doing events. Since then, we're trying to find those avenues again to get back into the community and our surrounding communities that we service. We want to get information out there.”

Miller said that walk-in mammograms are offered Thursdays with no appointment requirement to make the process as easy and stress-free for patients as possible. 

“For them it's just an opportunity to walk in and get it done quickly and get it over with without having to think about it being on their calendar for weeks,” Miller said. “It's become a very daunting task for women. There's so much in the news and so much awareness around it, which is great, but also becomes a worry. Some women do much better with less worrying and just being able to walk in and get it done and leave.”

RCH has worked in recent years to extend its breast cancer awareness work outside of October to the rest of the year. It has held spring events and distributes information on the topic year round. 

For mammogram patients on top of the walk-in offerings, RCH’s Radiology Department works with them on scheduling appointments and has evening appointments available when needed. Miller said RCH is able to get patients in “much quicker” than larger facilities, both for mammograms and when follow-up appointments are needed after mammograms.

RCH offers screening mammograms and diagnostic mammograms. It has breast ultrasound available, both screening and diagnostic, and it's currently growing its ultrasound program. RCH can also do ultrasound breast biopsies in house. For local patients fighting breast cancer, RCH offers chemotherapy locally with a doctor’s order.

“We can keep those patients closer to home so they don't have to travel to larger facilities,” Miller said. “That's especially helpful for our elderly population that we have a lot of. I want the community to understand that we're here and we're close, and we're quick and it's easy. We will be accommodating to them. The community should know it has us here locally. Our staff is so knowledgeable and caring and wants to get our patients the right answers.”

RCH offers mammogram advice to patients and families based on its radiologist’s recommendations, which are personalized to the patients. Miller said if someone has a close history of breast cancer in their family, they should have a screening mammogram at age 35. For those without any history of breast cancer in their family, they should have their first screening mammogram at age 40. After that, they should work with their providers to make sure they’re getting their mammograms at the correct intervals. 

“The earlier you find breast cancer, the more treatable it is,” Miller said. “A mammogram can't prevent breast cancer. But a mammogram will show us that you have breast cancer. Mammograms help us to set baseline results for patients and to catch breast cancer earlier. Regularity of getting your mammogram every year helps us to find the tiniest abnormality as soon as it shows up. We can catch it at its earliest stage and get you where you need to be and eliminate possibilities like mastectomies and traumatic surgeries that women have to go through. They still have to happen sometimes, but it gives us every opportunity to prevent those later stages.”

Miller said she’s grateful for the community partnerships RCH has during Breast Cancer Awareness Month such as RTHS, Runnings and the Rock River Center. Platforms to spread awareness and donations allow RCH to improve the health of the community and to help its cancer patients. 

“When I'm out in the community this month it makes me extremely proud,” Miller said. “Because people ask good questions and thank us for being there and getting the word out. We listen to a lot of stories this month. Every woman that's had breast cancer tells us their story this month when we're in the community. It gets very emotional for myself and my staff. We're treating these patients and we may have seen them from their screening mammogram normal all the way through the whole process. It's a journey we go on with the community. I think it's important and it makes me proud of this hospital that it takes it so seriously and wants us to be active in the community and get the information out.”