Crouse Health buys 3D mammography units with Saint Agatha Foundation, JMA Wireless donations

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Crouse Health announced it has purchased two new 3D mammography machines with the help of $800,000 in donations from the Saint Agatha Foundation and JMA Wireless of Syracuse.

Crouse Health Foundation, the fundraising arm of Crouse Hospital, on Wednesday announced the acquisition of two new, next-generation digital tomosynthesis machines — more commonly referred to as 3D mammography machines — that “improve early breast cancer detection and save lives.”

The Saint Agatha Foundation provided $406,000 to purchase a new digital tomosynthesis unit for the Hadley J. Falk Breast Health Center at Crouse Hospital, replacing an older version of the technology that was also funded through Saint Agatha support. The machine went online in early October.

A second 3D unit, purchased through a Saint Agatha Foundation grant and a matching grant from JMA Wireless, will be coming online this week.

The addition of both machines coincides with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, according to Crouse Health.

“These machines are a testament to the legacy of my sister, Laurie, who was a tireless advocate for breast cancer awareness and founded Saint Agatha during her own battle with the disease,” John Mezzalingua, CEO of JMA Wireless, said in a release. “Laurie’s message to our family was clear: Early detection saves lives. We have taken her words to heart and are continuing her fight on behalf of breast cancer patients. We are proud to be able to carry on Laurie’s important work by investing in the most high-tech 3D mammography machines available to make early detection possible for more Central New Yorkers.”

Amid her own battle with breast cancer, Laurie Mezzalingua founded the Saint Agatha Foundation in 2004 to provide financial assistance to individuals fighting the disease in Central New York.

The foundation provides support, comfort, and care to uninsured and underinsured breast-cancer patients in Onondaga, Cortland, Cayuga, Madison, Oneida, Oswego, and Jefferson counties.

Led by Laurie’s mother, Kathleen Mezzalingua, since Laurie’s death in 2009, the foundation has provided more than $17 million to 10,032 men and women.

“Saint Agatha Foundation is proud to assist Crouse Hospital with the purchase of new tomosynthesis technology, providing the most advanced screening available and aiding in the earliest detection possible for those who may have breast cancer,” Kathleen Mezzalingua, board chair of the Saint Agatha Foundation, said in the release. “Earlier detection means better outcomes for treatment and that is our hope. My daughter Laurie was always appreciative of the care provided by Dr. Stephen Montgomery and team following her surgery and treatment at Crouse Hospital during her battle with breast cancer.”