RadNet Teams Up with Basketball Icon Sheryl Swoopes to Promote Healthcare Equity and Access
First Initiative Spotlights Breast Cancer Screening Services Inside Walmart
Sheryl Swoopes, 2016 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony
LOS ANGELES, April 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RadNet, Inc. (NASDAQ: RDNT), a national leader in providing high-quality, cost-effective outpatient diagnostic imaging services, today announced that basketball legend and WNBA superstar Sheryl Swoopes will be a spokesperson for its nationwide cancer screening programs. Swoopes will emphasize the need for more convenient nationwide access to crucial cancer screening services. The most recent initiative is MammogramNow, RadNet’s launch of breast cancer screening services as a tenant in Walmart Supercenters in Delaware, Arizona, and California.
As an iconic figure in women’s basketball, Sheryl Swoopes enjoyed an illustrious career, earning three Olympic gold medals and three Most Valuable Player awards in the WNBA, cementing her status as one of the greatest players of all time. Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017, Swoopes continues to inspire generations with her remarkable achievements, both on and off the court.
Swoopes has a personal connection to cancer and specifically breast cancer, having lost both of her aunts to the disease. RadNet and Swoopes will together support a movement towards greater health equity and collaborate on efforts to combat healthcare disparities. Swoopes’ influence and advocacy can spark meaningful change in how communities approach preventive healthcare and population health screening.
“Growing up, Walmart was more than just a store to me—it was a part of my family’s routine. My mom and aunts would take me along as they shopped. Looking back, I cannot help but think how different things might have been if screening services like RadNet’s MammogramNow had been available,” said Swoopes. “I lost two aunts to breast cancer. That personal connection fuels my passion for this collaboration. Even having that personal experience with cancer, I did not realize how little I knew about the importance of annual screenings. My basketball career has provided me with a platform to influence millions of people, and having seen firsthand the devastation cancer can bring, I am driven to ensure that others have access to early detection and life-saving preventive care.”
“This initiative not only extends convenient access to cutting-edge screening technologies, but also aligns perfectly with Sheryl’s commitment to health advocacy. We are making strides toward a healthier future for women,” said RadNet President and CEO Howard Berger, MD. “Together, we are bringing world-class healthcare professionals into the heart of our neighborhoods, ensuring that every woman has access to medical expertise and compassionate care.”
Providing advanced screening technologies represents a significant step toward democratizing healthcare access. Leveraging state-of-the-art hardware and artificial intelligence, RadNet’s initiative makes essential health services readily available to individuals in underserved communities.
“In addition to seeking groceries, household goods, and personal items at our stores, Walmart shoppers routinely fill their prescriptions. The opportunity to get a walk-in mammogram will give convenient access so that even busy women can be compliant with recommended screening standards,” said Andrea Harvey, Senior Manager of Everyday Services for Walmart. She added: “Together with RadNet, we selected locations where RadNet could service the additional imaging needs of our shoppers in situations where further evaluation is necessary.”
RadNet ensures the highest standards of care by employing board-certified radiologists and highly trained technologists to provide crucial breast screening services. These medical professionals bring a wealth of expertise and experience to every screening session, ensuring accurate interpretations and timely interventions when needed. With their dedication to excellence in patient care, RadNet’s team of specialists plays a vital role in the early detection and prevention of breast cancer, further improving health outcomes for women everywhere.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the capabilities of the DeepHealth® technology, the DeepHealth® Enhanced Breast Cancer Detection service (EBCD) and the success of the pilot program with Walmart or any expansion of the program beyond the pilot, are expressions of our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, and anticipated future conditions, events and trends. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as: “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “seek,” “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “will” and similar references to future periods.
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For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
RadNet, Inc.
Timothy Merchant
National Director of Screening Networks and Population Health Strategy
310-445-2800
About RadNet, Inc.
RadNet, Inc., is the leading national provider of free-standing, fixed-site diagnostic imaging services and related information technology solutions (including artificial intelligence) in the United States based on the number of locations and annual imaging revenue. RadNet has a network of 366 owned and/or operated outpatient imaging centers. RadNet’s markets include California, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Florida, and Arizona. Together with affiliated radiologists, including full-time and per diem employees and technologists, RadNet has over 9,700 employees.
For more information, visit http://www.radnet.com.
About Walmart
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better—anytime and anywhere—in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 230 million customers and members visit approximately 10,800 stores and clubs under 51 banners in 25 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2022 revenue of $559 billion, Walmart employs over 2.3 million associates worldwide.
About MammogramNow™
MammogramNow™ is a proactive breast cancer screening program hosted at select Walmart Supercenter locations. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and artificial intelligence along with the convenience of Walmart’s retail spaces, the program aims to increase accessibility to screening mammography, so that women are empowered to prioritize their well-being.
