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If you’re over the age of 40, we’re here to remind you to book your next (or very first) mammogram. This is an appointment that should be in your calendar at least every two years.

Eligible women, Two-Spirit, trans and nonbinary people between 40 and 74 can book a screening mammogram at our clinic without a referral from a primary care provider. All it takes is a phone call or a few clicks. Information on how to book your mammogram can be found in the final section of this article.

If this will be your first mammogram at our clinic — or your first mammogram ever — here’s what you can expect from your appointment with us.

An accessible location with plenty of parking

Our breast screening clinic is located at the Hampton Park Plaza shopping centre, at 1419 Carling Avenue, just off the Queensway. There is plenty of parking free of charge.

A warm and comforting welcome

In the waiting room, you’ll be greeted and checked in by one of our clerks. We may call it a “waiting room,” but you won’t have to wait long for your appointment once you’re checked in — from a few seconds (literally!) to just a few minutes.

One of our medical radiation technologists will escort you to a private room for your mammogram. The technologist will leave the room while you change into a gown. When they come back, they’ll ask you a few questions about your medical history and if you’ve noticed any changes to your breasts since your last screening mammogram.

Our clinic wants to serve you in the language that is most comfortable for you. In addition to English and French, our technologists speak Arabic, Bosnian, Mandarin and Russian.

It’s time for your scan

The technologist will help position you in front of a standing x-ray machine for four images, two of each breast. Your breast will be compressed between two plates, once vertically and once horizontally. Some patients do find this a little bit uncomfortable, but our technologists are as gentle as possible, and each scan only lasts a couple of seconds.

To help ensure no cancers are missed and make the experience more comfortable for our patients, our technologists are now being aided by an artificial intelligence tool. The tool lets the technologist know that the mammogram machine is applying just the right amount of compression to capture all the right images — without going too far and causing you discomfort.

The team’s growing experience, coupled with this new technology, is helping the clinic perform more and more mammograms every year. The clinic performs mammograms on an average of 20,000 people per year, a number it first reached in 2020, becoming the first clinic in Ontario to achieve this milestone. For 2024, the team has set a goal of 22,000 mammograms.

A quick and efficient appointment

All in all, from the time you’re checked in to the time you walk out the door, the whole process usually takes no more than 15 minutes. But the team will book you for a 20-minute appointment just to make sure they’ve answered any questions you may have. We might be able to answer one of them right here and now in this article! One question our team gets a lot is, “Can I drive after my appointment?” And the answer is yes! You can drive and eat right after our team says goodbye.

We welcome your feedback

Before you leave, we’d really appreciate it if you’d fill out a comment card. Please tell us about your visit to help us give you the best possible service in the future.

Your results at your fingertips

Later, your mammogram will be interpreted by a radiologist from The Ottawa Hospital. And within two weeks after your appointment, you’ll see your results in your MyChart, along with a note about when you should get screened again, which will most likely be in two years.

If you’re not signed up for MyChart, and your results are normal, the Ontario Breast Screening Program will send you a letter in the mail. If your results are abnormal, which means that the radiologist saw an area of concern that needs a closer look, our clinic will notify you to schedule an appointment at the Rose Ages Breast Health Centre at The Ottawa Hospital for additional imaging, with a specialized mammogram and/or a breast ultrasound. Your primary care provider will be notified of the findings. At your appointment at the Breast Health Centre, you will be told your results by the radiologist or technologist and advised if further testing is required. This will be arranged by the Breast Health Centre team for you.

Our clinic is developing a process to ensure that, if follow-up for breast imaging is needed, you will be assigned to a dedicated care provider.

An easy booking process

You can make an appointment at our clinic or any other Ontario Breast Screening Program clinic without a referral from a primary care provider. You can refer yourself and call up any clinic to make your appointment.

The Ottawa Hospital has gone a step beyond self-referral to allow self-booking at our clinic. That means you can book your appointment date and time yourself through MyChart without having to talk to a clerk over the phone. If you’re eligible for screening, you’ll see a notification in your MyChart with easy-to-follow booking instructions.

Not signed up for MyChart? With MyChart, you can communicate with your doctor, access your test results, request prescription refills, manage your appointments and more. Learn more about MyChart and how to get started.

But if you’re not interested in signing up just yet, you can still make an appointment at our clinic by calling (613) 728-0777 or 1-800-465-6226.

Want to learn more about breast screening, including the benefits and if you’re eligible? Check out these frequently asked questions answered by The Ottawa Hospital’s breast screening team.

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