In the early 1990s, when Barbara Schepps, MD, first envisioned a breast imaging center at Rhode Island Hospital, “mammogram” was not quite a household word.
“At the time, few insurers paid for screening mammograms – mammograms for asymptomatic women. Those and the uninsured or underinsured patients, with or without symptoms, often fell through the gaps,” says Dr. Schepps, who didn’t let that deter her. She persuaded hospital leaders to offer mammograms for $50. An ad campaign encouraged hundreds of women to get screened for cancer.
Anne C. Pappas was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1971 and passed away four years later. Her sister, Sandy Stamoulis, explains in this video how Anne’s family was inspired to make the foundational gift to create the Anne C. Pappas Center for Breast Imaging in her memory.
That was the start of what, in 1995, would become the Anne C. Pappas Center for Breast Imaging, which was directed by Dr. Schepps until she retired in 2008.
The center’s namesake was the sister of Sandy Stamoulis, MBA, RN then Rhode Island Hospital’s chief of nursing. Anne died of breast cancer at age 40 in the 1970s, and her family made the foundational gift that helped launch the center. They have stayed involved with the center, inspiring many other donors, such as Team Tarro and the Gloria Gemma Foundation.
Today the Pappas Center is an inviting space with state-of-the-art equipment, staffed by experts in breast imaging who see more than 25,000 patients per year. The center provides the full range of breast imaging examinations, including mammography with digital breast tomosynthesis (3D mammography), breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and breast biopsy. Cryoablation, a non-surgical method of freezing breast tumors for those patients enrolled in research trials or whose cases are not suitable for surgery, is offered.
Members of the Pappas Center clinical team are nationally recognized leaders in research and education on the next chapter of breast health care, investigating new advances in imaging and treatment.
According to Martha Mainiero, MD, the center’s medical director since 2008, “We are an integral part of the breast health team. Our dedicated nurse navigator works closely with the other nurse navigators as well as surgeons and treatment teams across the Brown University Health Cancer Institute.”
Support from our donors advances the mission of the Anne C. Pappas Center for Breast Imaging at Brown University Health, helping our team provide outstanding care.
The Anne C. Pappas Center for Breast Imaging brings together the finest clinicians, the latest technology, and the most compassionate care in a fitting tribute to its namesake’s spirit.
Caring for underserved populations is central to the center’s mission. The center takes part in the College of American Pathologists Foundation’s nationwide See, Test and Treat Program for women in vulnerable communities who might not have access to mammograms. These patients receive mammography services through the Rhode Island Department of Health Women’s Cancer Screening Program.
However, the Anne C. Pappas Center for Breast Imaging isn’t just a clinic that diagnoses disease.
Says Dr. Mainiero, “We often reassure women that nothing is wrong. People are just as thankful that you put everything to rest. We’ve been around long enough that we have mother-daughter combinations. Sisters, whole families, come to us. It’s incredibly rewarding.”
Find out more about the Anne C. Pappas Center for Breast Imaging
