COVINGTON, Ga. - Every May, we celebrate Mother’s Day, a day set aside to remind the many mothers in our lives how thankful we are for all that they do. This Mother’s Day, experts at Piedmont Newton also encourage you to remind these same women to protect their health by scheduling a screening mammogram.

To help women in the community to start this new Mother’s Day tradition, the Piedmont Newton Women’s Diagnostic Center is hosting a mammogram screening event on Saturday, May 19. Women who attend can complete their annual screening, as well as enjoy complimentary refreshments, massages and door prizes.

Statistics show that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, and getting regular screenings is the most reliable way to find breast cancer early, according to the American Cancer Society.

“Breast cancer that’s found early is easier to treat successfully,” Dr. Courtney Perez, M.D., radiologist at the Piedmont Newton Women’s Diagnostic Center, said. “A mammogram is an important step in taking care of yourself and your breasts, and getting your annual screening gives us a mammogram history to compare to, helping us to identify changes in breast tissue.”

As a radiologist for the women’s diagnostic center, Perez compares the images she sees from a patient’s current mammogram to prior mammograms belonging to that same patient, looking for any changes or abnormal areas in the breast. She works closely with the other members of the women’s diagnostics team to ensure patients receive the most advanced, high-quality breast care.

“We know it can be a scary process, but our team aims to make it as relaxed as possible for each of our patients,” Perez, who completed a fellowship in breast imaging, said. “We focus on patient care to help our patients understand the importance of not delaying this essential screening.”

Finding breast cancer early and getting state-of-the-art cancer treatment are the most important strategies to prevent deaths from breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

This Mother’s Day, encourage your mom, sister, wife and other loved ones to be proactive about their health and complete their annual mammogram screening.  The Piedmont Newton Women’s Diagnostic Center’s screening event will take place on Saturday, May 19 from 8 to 1 at 4181 Hospital Drive, Suite 301 in Covington.

For more information about the Piedmont Newton Women’s Diagnostic Center or to schedule an appointment for this special event, call 770-385-7827.