Toni’s Kitchen Partners with University Hospital’s “Mammography in Motion” Mobile Unit
On September 18, Toni's Kitchen implemented our first mammography and cervical cancer screening in partnership with Newark's University Hospital's "Mammography in Motion" mobile unit. The unit was parked right outside of Toni's Choice Pantry grocery distribution program. For several months prior to the event, Toni's shared informational flyers in English and Spanish with our guests during Choice Pantry to meet the minimum number of appointments for the event to occur.
The mobile unit offers cancer screening to medically underserved populations. The goal is to eliminate barriers and increase access to cancer screenings. All guests can receive screenings regardless of their ability to pay due to a grant from the New Jersey Department of Health.
The visit by the mobile unit began with Toni's Kitchen volunteer Fiona Gambuzza. Fiona completed a learning opportunity at Rutgers University called the BOLD Camp (BioCONNECT Oncology Leadership Development), where she learned about the science behind breast cancer, how to diagnose and treat it, and the current clinical trials and research being done. Fiona approached Toni's with the idea of exploring ways to provide breast cancer education and possibly screenings to our guests. Nancy Xenakis, a Toni's Kitchen staff member who manages Choice Pantry's community-based partnerships, worked with Fiona to bring the mobile unit to Toni's.
On the days of the screenings, 24 people were screened. University Hospital also conducts post-screening follow-up through bilingual patient navigators who help any guests with inconclusive or positive screenings with the appropriate next steps.
News 12 New Jersey had a reporter at the event and aired a story on the program. You can watch the News 12 story here.
Due to the success of the event, another visit by the mobile unit is scheduled in January of next year. A prostate cancer screening day is also scheduled for next June.
This partnership is another example of Toni's Kitchen's commitment to improving the health of our guests.