Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced a new partnership between the City of Chicago and Cook County Health & Hospitals System (CCHHS) to expand and improve breast health services available to low income women citywide, including providing accessible and effective mammography screenings for as many as 5,000 more uninsured women. In 2016, the City of Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) will invest a total of $635,000 to provide additional mammography services at three CCHHS locations. CDPH will also continue to provide $100,000 to Roseland Community Hospital and Mercy Hospital and Health Center as part of the ongoing collaborations.

Starting in January, City-funded services will transition to three County sites, in addition to continuing service at Mercy Hospital and Health Center’s four sites and Roseland Community Hospital. Through the City’s investments, up to 5,000 uninsured women will have access to free-of-charge screenings at these sites, more than doubling the 2,100 mammography services provided yearly by the City. According to a 2014 survey from CDPH, 8,625, uninsured women in Chicago who are the recommended age for mammograms have not had a screening in the last two years.