Dr. Christopher Czaplicki, a breast radiologist at the Marjorie E. Radin Breast Care Center, led the way when it came to advocating for new mammography technology. Photo contributed by Community Health System

Community Regional Medical Center and Clovis Community Medical Center received a $1.5 million donation from several local philanthropists to improve breast cancer care.

Wednesday morning, Community Health System announced the seven-figure gift to help be the first in the Valley to offer contrast-enhanced mammogram technology. The $2 million total purchase allowed the mammography departments at Community Regional and Clovis Community to be remodeled with an additional three new machines. Two of the machines include contrast-enhanced mammogram technology.

This is new technology brought to the Central Valley for the first time. The Marjorie E. Radin Breast Cancer Center in Clovis specializes in the care and treatment of breast cancer, including specialist imaging, diagnostics, surgery, biology, cancer care and emotional support.

According to Katie Zenovich, Community Health System VP for development and external affairs, 16,000 mammograms were performed last year at the medical center.

Donors and philanthropy helped fund this new state-of-the-art care, including supporters of the Valley Pink Patch fundraiser.

Other donors include the Living Legacy Foundation, the Radin Foundation, Physician’s Network Advantage, the President’s Club and its own Community Health System employees.

“They also learned that new technology was available and needed in order to make sure that the available care is truly world class. So, they stepped up and they wanted to help and make that come to the community,” said Zenovich.

They can now perform contrast-enhanced mammograms for advanced diagnostic imaging — a service residents would have to travel to Oakland for previously. Contrast-enhanced mammograms are beneficial for patients with dense breast tissue to help detect cancers that are usually very difficult to see.

Contrast tomography is a different way for doctors to image the breast. It utilizes the fact that breast cancers have abnormal blood flow going into it, which is the same concept that breast MRI is based on as the most sensitive way of detecting cancer.

Dr. Christopher Czaplicki, a breast radiologist at the Marjorie E. Radin Breast Care Center, led the way when it came to advocating for this technology.

In 2021, he set the goal to bring contrast mammography to the Central Valley. After the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a pushback. Despite the obstacles and with help of the donors they were able to bring the technology to the Central Valley.

“Patients should know that when they come to the Marjorie E. Radin Breast Care Center, they’re not only getting the best care and the most cutting edge technology, but we’re actually ahead of the curve of most major academic centers,” said Dr. Czaplicki.