Imaging for Women: Continuously Raising the Standard of Care

Raising the standard of care has been at the heart of Imaging for Women’s philosophy since they opened their doors in 1997. At the time, women were waiting several weeks to get in for a screening mammogram. If a patient had an abnormal screening mammogram, it would often take months to complete the work-up and get a diagnosis. This was not acceptable to Dr. Mark Malley, now retired, so he set out to change this. 

Under Imaging for Women’s practice model, no patient with a palpable lump waits more than one business day for a work-up and the patient can often have a biopsy that same day. Dr. Troy Voeltz and Dr. Allison Zupon took over the practice after Dr. Malley retired. “We continue to provide this timely, expert-level care at a fraction of the costs charged by hospitals for the same exams and procedures, and we accept most insurances,” Dr. Zupon stated.

Breast Specialists
Imaging for Women uses the best technology currently available, including 3-D mammography with self-compression and whole breast ultrasound. “We are one of the only facilities to offer patient-assisted compression in our region. This allows women to have control of the amount of pressure used during their mammograms,” Dr. Zupon noted. “About half of all women have dense breast tissue, which elevates their risk for breast cancer and can hide cancers on a mammogram. At Imaging for Women, we offer additional screening with ultrasound to find those hidden cancers.”

Exams are read in real time by one of their breast fellowship-trained radiologists. If a biopsy or other special imaging is needed, the radiologist will discuss their recommendations with the patient and, in some cases, the biopsy can be completed on the same day at a very reasonable cost to the patient.

Community Support
In addition to providing expert-level care, Imaging for Women is also highly involved in the community. “For me, being a physician is more than just seeing patients and providing care,” Dr. Voeltz stated. “Doing the most good in your community is something that is extremely important to Dr. Zupon and myself.” 

In collaboration with Bra Couture KC, Imaging for Women has donated over 200 free mammograms annually to women in need throughout the greater Kansas City area. Additionally, they also donate time and funds to many nonprofits throughout the year, including Hope House, Kansas City Free Eye Clinic, Noah’s Bandage Run, CCVI’s Trolley Run, Platte County Back to School Fund, KC Pet Project, Harvesters and many other nonprofit organizations and scholarship foundations. Imaging for Women also works directly with Northland Healthcare Access to provide more than $25,000 annually of free imaging services to uninsured patients in the community. 

Put It on Your Calendar!
Due to the pandemic, many women have postponed or skipped their annual mammogram. Breast health is one of the most important components of a woman’s health program, and government mandates that insurance companies provide coverage for screenings. Additional advice, Dr. Voeltz asserted, is to make the following inquiries. “Ask who will be reading your study. Do they have special training in breast radiology? Ask about your fees and out-of-pocket expenses. Do not delay your annual mammogram!” Dr. Zupon added, “Ask about their pricing! The difference could be thousands of dollars out of your pocket.”

Phyllis Fulk, Imaging for Women CFO and practice administrator, emphasized, “We continue to follow the CDC guidelines. The guidelines for healthcare facilities are different than for the general public. We ask patients to please bring a mask with you and a sign on our front door will inform you if it is still required.”

Dr. Voeltz and Dr. Zupon lead an amazing team to deliver the highest quality of service to patients at reasonable costs in their independent facility. Their team at Imaging for Women has a reputation for being compassionate and caring. Phyllis Fulk concluded, “As a patient, you can be reassured by our commitment to providing a safe environment. You will love the spa-like setting and compassionate staff!” ■

Imaging for Women is located at 630 N.W. Englewood Road, Kansas City, Missouri. For more information, call 816-453–2700 or visit imagingforwomen.com.