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KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- A Heartland hospital is offering a more comfortable way to get a regular health screening.

The high tech, soft touch mammography is now offered at Northeast Regional Medical Center.
    
A soft pad or MammoPad® is added to the machine that helps ease the discomfort many women feel when they get a mammogram.
    
Technicians say they hope more women will get their screenings.

“The compression, there's not really much we can do about it.  We're hoping that the mammopad which is the newest thing that we have gotten is available for each patient will help take away some of that discomfort but the compression is the life saving part of the mammogram,” said Julie Atchley, R.T. (R) (M)

Atchley says she can’t stress how important it is to get a regular screening.

“We want the best for our patients, our patients are our customers.  We want the best for each other, for our relatives, friends,  and family.  I'm extremely pleased that this facility has purchased digital mammography and they have it in place,” said Atchley.

Atchley says the screening is also completely digital.  Patients no longer have to wait for the film to develop after the procedure.  This creates a cleaner and quicker image for both technicians and patients to view.  The images are also easily stored and transferred electronically if necessary.