ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — CalOptima Health has partnered with Alinea Medical Imaging and several local health care providers to offer no-cost mobile mammography screenings throughout Orange County, making it easier for women to access potentially life-saving breast cancer detection services closer to home.
The initiative is part of CalOptima Health’s Comprehensive Community Cancer Screening and Support Program, launched in 2023 to reduce the number of late-stage cancer diagnoses involving breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancers among Orange County residents. Through December, mobile mammography units will visit clinics and hospitals across the county, serving eligible CalOptima Health members and qualifying uninsured women.
Health officials say the program is designed to eliminate some of the most common barriers to preventive care, including transportation challenges, scheduling difficulties and limited access to specialty medical services.
“Early detection saves lives, and we need to make mammography screening as accessible as possible,” said Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, who serves as Chair of the CalOptima Health Board of Directors. He noted that bringing screening services directly into local neighborhoods helps ensure more women receive recommended preventive care before cancer has an opportunity to advance.
Breast Cancer Remains the Most Common Cancer Among Women
Breast cancer continues to be the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the United States, excluding certain skin cancers. According to national cancer statistics, approximately 310,000 to 320,000 new invasive breast cancer cases are diagnosed annually in American women, and more than 40,000 women die from the disease each year.
While breast cancer mortality rates have steadily declined over the past several decades due to improved screening and treatment, incidence rates have shown a gradual upward trend in recent years. Over the last five years, researchers have documented a modest but persistent increase in breast cancer diagnoses, particularly among younger women and certain minority populations. Health experts attribute some of that increase to greater screening participation and improved detection technologies, although changing lifestyle and environmental risk factors may also play a role.
The American Cancer Society estimates that roughly one in eight women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer during her lifetime.
Certain Demographics Face Higher Risks
Medical researchers have identified several populations that face elevated breast cancer risks:
- Women age 50 and older account for the majority of breast cancer diagnoses.
- Black women experience higher mortality rates than women of other racial and ethnic groups, despite slightly lower overall incidence rates. They are also more likely to be diagnosed with aggressive forms of breast cancer, including triple-negative breast cancer.
- Women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutations face substantially higher lifetime risks.
- Women with a family history of breast cancer or ovarian cancer remain at increased risk.
- Dense breast tissue can make cancers more difficult to detect and is associated with higher risk.
- Hispanic and Asian American women have historically experienced lower incidence rates than non-Hispanic White women, though some studies show rates are increasing among younger women in these populations.
Public health officials emphasize that routine mammography remains one of the most effective tools for detecting breast cancer before symptoms appear, often identifying tumors when they are smaller and more treatable.
Mobile Mammography Program Targets Underserved Residents
CalOptima Health officials say the mobile screening effort specifically focuses on reaching vulnerable populations who may otherwise delay preventive care. The health plan serves nearly 790,000 low-income children, adults, seniors and individuals with disabilities across Orange County.
Dr. Richard Lopez Jr., Interim Chief Medical Officer for CalOptima Health, said bringing screening services directly to neighborhoods allows health providers to meet patients where they live and work while making preventive care more accessible and practical.
No-cost mammograms are available as a covered preventive benefit for eligible CalOptima Health members. Uninsured women may also qualify through California’s Every Woman Counts program, which provides breast and cervical cancer screening services to eligible residents.
Upcoming Orange County Mobile Mammography Events
Residents interested in scheduling a screening should contact event organizers or their primary care provider to determine referral requirements and eligibility.
- November 17: Chapman Global Medical Center, Orange
- November 19: UCI Health Family Health Center, Anaheim
- November 24: Orange County Global Medical Center, Santa Ana
- December 10: Chapman Global Medical Center, Orange
- December 14: UCI Health Family Health Center, Santa Ana
- December 17: Orange County Global Medical Center, Santa Ana
- December 19: Camino Health Center, San Juan Capistrano
- December 28: South Coast Global Medical Center, Santa Ana
Several of the remaining events are concentrated in Santa Ana, an area with a large population of CalOptima Health members and medically underserved residents. Health advocates say mobile screening programs have proven effective in increasing breast cancer detection rates among patients who might otherwise forgo routine mammograms due to cost, transportation limitations or scheduling conflicts.
As breast cancer diagnoses continue to rise nationally, programs that expand access to early detection may play an important role in reducing cancer deaths and improving outcomes for Orange County women. For many patients, a screening performed at a mobile unit parked outside a neighborhood clinic could be the first step toward identifying cancer early enough to save a life.