Sign up for our newsletter and get the best of the Beacon delivered every day to your inbox.
Breast cancer patients receiving care at Logan Health now have access to a second MRI breast coil (pictured above) – a technology used in breast screenings to identify cancers not visible on a mammogram.
The addition is the result of a $70,000 donation that PacificSource Health Plans made to the Logan Health Foundation in October. The remainder of the donated money went into Carol’s Fund, an endowment for breast cancer services in the valley started by a retired surgeon on behalf of his sister Carol Ann Bonnet. Angie Tennison, manager of Mammography and MRI services at Logan Health’s Imaging Services, said the new equipment is helping improve access to cancer screenings (pictured below with Dr. Scott Alexander, vice president of Northwest Imaging and a lead interpreting physician for Logan Health Mammography).
“This generous support from PacificSource will make a real difference for both our team and the patients we serve,” said Tennison. “It’s an investment not just in equipment and technology, but in improving access and quality of care in our community. With this funding, we’re able to move forward on critical upgrades that enhance imaging capabilities, improve diagnostic accuracy and ultimately lead to better outcomes for our patients. We’re incredibly grateful for this partnership.”
I’m Zoë Buhrmaster, here with you for a brief screening of cancer care news in the valley.
Last month, the family planning department for Flathead County attended the Women 4 Wellness Health Fair at the Salish Kootenai College. Mandie Fleming, manager for the county’s family planning department, said its team provided cervical and breast cancer screenings, serving 20 patients at the fair.
“That was the first time we went to that event, and it was really successful,” Fleming said.
The county pays for breast and cervical cancer screenings through the Montana Cancer Screening Program, depending on age, income and insurance status, including those who have no coverage or deductibles higher than $200. The county also offers a free heart screening program with similar parameters.
With Property Seized and Federal Funding Uncertain, Montana Asbestos Clinic Fights for Its Life
The Centers for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby has been fighting for its survival since a judgment in a lawsuit forced it to close its doors in May. Now, the federal grant that provides 80% of the clinic’s operating revenue is being targeted.
A Taste of Summertime Tradition in the Tippy Canoe
At Burgertown Dairy Freeze in Bigfork, the “Tippy Canoe” is just a chili dog — but each bite is also an ode to summer and a nod to the nostalgia animating this seasonal snack shack since 1970
Human-Bear Conflicts Kept Northwest Montana Grizzly Specialists Busy in 2024
While preventative measures such as electric fences helped reduce human-bear conflicts in much of the region, bear specialists in the Flathead Valley recorded 203 total calls and four known grizzly bear mortalities
The best stories are those that make a difference in the community we call home. Your support makes those stories possible. Please consider chipping in a one-time gift or sign up for a recurring contribution and join the hundreds of members in our Editor’s Club. Every little bit helps.
Every donation is injected straight into the newsroom.
