NWI Breast Care Center provided care for over 12,000 women in 2025

Over the course of 2025, Northwest Indiana Breast Care Center at Methodist Hospitals served over 12,000 women. NWI Breast Care Center educated over 5,000 women in the community on breast health through its outreach initiatives. The center also provided financial support to over 75 women through their grant dollars for 3D mammograms, diagnostic mammograms, ultrasound and mammography biopsies, and breast MRIs.

Aside from safeguarding the health of women in the community, a major accomplishment in 2025 was welcoming Dena Lopez, RTRM, as the Center’s Breast Navigator. Her role as the breast navigator is vital to patients’ treatment plans.

NWI Breast Care Center connected with both patients and the community through various classes and event programming, such as Healthy Night Out with the Girls, where women can assess their breast cancer risk and learn about the genetic side of cancer.

“We had a couple of classes last year. One was our breast genetics, and it was a phenomenal program. A lot of women got great information from that,” Sanders said. “We did a pap smear screening and mammogram event, helping women schedule their annual exams. It was a two-for-one kind of day that was very successful. We served over 25 women on that day. It was a great day for our community.”

While educating women about breast cancer is a great step in promoting early diagnosis, NWI Breast Care Center was also able to help more than 1,000 new women last year, partially thanks to making changes in insurance. With so many resources offered to the community, it is no wonder that others took notice of what NWI Breast Care Center and Sanders had accomplished.

“I got nominated for and recognized with the Humanitarian Award from Pink Ribbon Society last year. Ann Peters and her team at Pink Ribbon Society have been a staple in the community for years, so getting that designation was amazing,” Sanders said.

With only a 52% screening rate in Lake County and a 57% screening rate in Porter County, Sanders encourages everyone to be diligent in scheduling their mammograms.

“30% of cancers that are coming out of the hospital here are breast. This disease is here in Northwest Indiana,” Sanders said. “It’s a big myth that you don’t need a mammogram if you don’t have a family history; that family history has to start somewhere. If you’re gonna be the first one in your family, we want to make sure that you catch it early. This disease has a 99% survival rate. The name of the game is catching it early. We just need women to be accountable for their health and come in to get these tests done. Being healthy requires this maintenance.”

To learn more about Northwest Indiana Breast Care Center at Methodist Hospitals, visitmethodisthospitals.org.