AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Panhandle Breast Health and Pampa Regional Medical Center have announced a partnership that will allow uninsured women across the Panhandle to receive mammograms at no cost.

“You know we are such a rural area that a lot of little towns come to see us. So, a lot of people always think, oh, we have to go to Amarillo, or we have to go to like Lubbock or something to get that done,” said Pampa Regional Center Nurse Jessenya Miranda. “No, we actually have that here in Pampa so that we don’t have to travel you know that far to go get that type of treatment.”

Judy Neil, executive director of Panhandle Breast Health said that there are two barriers that prevent women from getting mammograms.

“We know that the primary barrier is being insured. So that’s why we pay for uninsured. And one of the next barriers is travel, the time it takes having to take off from work, possibly get childcare, the expense of traveling to Amarillo,” said Neil. “All of those things kind of come together and may prevent a woman from getting your annual mammogram, and we want to remove those barriers.”

Miranda said that many women tend to put their health last, but it’s essential that they also take care of themselves.

“It is a thing that every woman should have done every year, especially because breast tissue seems to change from year to year. Just because it was good this year doesn’t mean that next year isn’t going to be good,” said Miranda.

For more information on how to apply, visit the Panhandle Breast Health website here.