The Adventist Health AIS Cancer Center recognized for enhancing the quality of life in Bakersfield

The Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce hosts the Beautiful Bakersfield Awards annually. It’s a way to honor the people, places, businesses and groups who have contributed to enhancing the quality of life in the Greater Bakersfield area. The program allows the business community, participating as sponsors of the event, to be involved in a program that promotes and encourages our positive quality of life. The Adventist Health AIS Cancer Center won this year’s “Health” award for our efforts to promote breast cancer screenings and breast cancer awareness education.

In April of 2019, the AIS Cancer Center really wanted to strongly encourage women at the Bakersfield Women's Business Conference (BWBC) -- and all women in Bakersfield -- to take care of themselves, so they could best care for those they love. We provided beautiful, "Together inspired" bracelets at the event, asking women to wear them as a reminder to get their mammogram (or any other regular health screening), then pass them on to another woman as her reminder. And so on and so on. But it didn’t stop there.

We also hosted a FREE breast screening in honor of Diane Williams, the chair of the 2018 Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference, on Thursday, May 9, 2019 at the AIS Cancer Center (2620 Chester Ave.) and Quest Imaging (2700 Chester Ave.). The screening was completely free.

Diane passed away from breast cancer. And we wanted to make sure women in Bakersfield had access to great care and were putting their health first, because women often put the care of others in their lives ahead of themselves.

During the free breast screening event, 61 patients were seen. Nine of the patients came from five of the seven geographical areas identified as having the highest need for healthcare. From the 61 patients, one patient had a palpable mass detected. Another patient was diagnosed with cancer and had her cancer surgically removed less than three months later.

The lives of these women were greatly impacted by hearing our plea to put their health first. When we improve the lives of those in our community, we make Bakersfield a much more loving and beautiful place to live and call home.

The Adventist Health AIS Cancer Center is dedicated to improving the lives of Kern County Residents. If you need to schedule a mammogram, please call Quest Imaging 661-633-5000 or if you have any breast health concerns and would like to speak to our expert team you can call the Adventist Health Breast Center at 661-637-8720.