Courtesy Photo Pictured, from left to right, are Mike Erickson, president, MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena; Loren Jackson, board member, Zonta Club of Alpena; Eileen Budnick, vice president, Zonta Club of Alpena; Ann Diamond, director, MyMichigan Health Foundation; Cirrae Heise, breast health nurse coordinator, MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena; and Steve Hand, imaging services manager, MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena.

ALPENA ­– Each year, the Zonta Club of Alpena hosts the Zonta Walks for Women Walk and 5K Run to honor and celebrate those who have had breast cancer, while also spreading awareness on the importance of early detection. Proceeds from the event are then donated to local organizations and initiatives to help fight breast cancer. Again, this year, the Zontians donated proceeds from the Walk to support women with breast cancer. In addition, a portion of the funds will be utilized for the purchase of a new ultrasound machine as part of the Breast Health Program at MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena.

Eileen Budnick, vice president, Zonta Club of Alpena, presented Ann Diamond, director, MyMichigan Health Foundation, with a check directed to these initiatives.

“I am proud of the continued relationship we have with the Zonta Club of Alpena and grateful for their ongoing support. On behalf of MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena and our patients, we extend our sincere thanks to the members of Zonta who work tirelessly on the Walk every year. It is an honor to be the recipient of this donation,” Diamond stated.

In 2024, MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena began renovations on the Imaging Department. A portion of the renovations include the addition of a new ultrasound machine. When used in conjunction with mammography, ultrasounds act as a secondary diagnostic tool, helping to determine if additional treatment or testing is necessary. This is particularly useful for patients with dense breast tissue or whose mammograms are suspicious or inconclusive.

“As awareness increases, more patients are coming in for regular breast health screenings and as our volumes have increased, having a dedicated breast health ultrasound machine has become necessary,” said Steve Hand, manager, Imaging Department. “An additional machine will reduce wait times for all ultrasound patients, not just breast health. And, with the renovations, the mammography and new ultrasound will be right next to each other, meaning patients will no longer have to leave the breast health unit and be routed through the general imaging area for an ultrasound. This will reduce the overall length of their appointments and enhance the patient’s experience.”

The Zonta Club has donated significantly to MyMichigan Health Foundation throughout the years. The Club has provided funding to assist under or uninsured patients with the cost of mammography screenings, 3D mammograms, transportation and other diagnostic screenings. They have also supported the Cancer Center in Alpena with the purchase of mammography CAD software, the installation of a new chemotherapy bay, as well as new equipment and gowns for radiation therapy patients, just to name a few. The Zontians also helped establish the Mammography Subsidy Fund and, with this donation, continues to support the Breast Health Fund, which assists patients with meeting costs for diagnostic procedures, equipment, and various other patient needs.

“The support of the Zonta Club of Alpena throughout the years has assisted MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena greatly in offering excellent services and care to our patients,” said Diamond. “With their contributions, thousands of women have benefited from their hard work and generosity, in addition to surviving a cancer diagnosis with early detection.”

The MyMichigan Health Foundation supports the patients and families served by MyMichigan Health through raising funds for equipment, services, and programs. Those interested in more information on the Breast Health Fund or MyMichigan Health Foundation may contact Diamond at ann.diamond@mymichigan.org or 989-356-7738.

MyMichigan Health, a nonprofit health system headquartered in Midland, Michigan, is a leader in providing award-winning, high-quality care to the 25-counties it serves. With Medical Centers in Alma, Alpena, Clare, Gladwin, Midland, Mt. Pleasant, Sault Ste. Marie and West Branch, MyMichigan also has affiliations with Medical Centers in St. Ignace and Mackinac Island. MyMichigan Health provides a full continuum of care across a wide array of settings, including urgent care centers, home health, virtual care, as well as medical offices in more than 80 specialties and subspecialties including cardiology, family medicine, hematology/oncology, neurosciences, orthopedics, pediatrics, vascular surgery, and more. MyMichigan Health demonstrates its commitment to the future of medicine by partnering with leading institutions to offer medical education programs that train medical students, physicians, nurse practitioner and physician assistant students, nursing students and other clinical experts for our region. Recognized by Forbes in 2022 and 2023 as one of “America’s Best Employers by State,” MyMichigan is a major employer in all of the areas it serves. In fact, its more than 10,600 employees, volunteers, health care providers and other personnel work together to create healthy communities through solutions designed to meet the ever-changing needs of the 981,000 residents in the health system’s 25 counties served.