Franklin Hospital in Benton is rolling out the latest in mammogram technology.
"For 4 years that was my goal. I wanted digital mammography here," Daniell Weinhoffer said.
Weinhoffer is Director of Imaging at the hospital and said the new machine features flexible paddles that make the process less painful on the breast.
"With paddles from the past, you had to push really hard to get the outer edges down," she said, "The way this works, we don't have to push as hard to get the outer edges."
Weinhoffer said that discomfort is what drives women away from getting a scan.
The new digital mammogram machine also contains hexagonal detectors. The shape allows for the detectors to be places closer together increasing accuracy and early detection.
Weinhoffer said it's a huge step from where they were just weeks ago.
"You would take a picture, pull it out of a plate, run it to a darkroom and put it through a couple of machines," she said.
What once could take several days to get results now only takes moments. Weinhoffer said waiting can be the most stressful part on the patient. With the faster response time, the stress levels go down.
It's technology like this Jim Johnson, Franklin Hospital CEO, said makes community healthcare possible.
"What this does, it allows women to get their mammographies done here without having to drive to Mt. Vernon, Herrin or Carbondale," said Johnson.
He said hopefully this can save lives in around Franklin County
"We want the residents to be able to get their care here," he said.
Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer found in women. Weinhoffer says women over 40 should get yearly mammograms, especially if they have a family history of breast cancer.
She said breast cancer if caught early, is curable almost 98% of the time.
