Clemson Rural Health to host mammogram event at Edwards Hall

Kristie Boswell was pursuing a family nurse practitioner degree in the Clemson University School of Nursing when she stepped onto a Clemson Rural Health (CRH) mobile health unit for the first time as a graduate assistant seven years ago. After witnessing firsthand how health care access improves lives in communities across South Carolina, Boswell was inspired to join CRH full time after graduation.

Now, armed with a decade of nursing experience and a recently conferred Doctor of Nursing Practice, Boswell provides leadership and coordination for CRH’s fleet of mobile health units as associate director of mobile operations. Just last year, her team traveled 48 thousand miles to host 127 mobile clinic events across the state.

Cancer screening events are some of CRH’s most successful programs. Funded through several agencies, CRH providers and health educators screen participants for several forms of cancer in one convenient visit.

“During these events, we empower individuals to take ownership of their health by providing opportunities to complete cancer screenings regardless of income and insurance status,” says Boswell. “My passion to increase access to preventive screenings is always reinforced when I see how early detection saves lives.”

In 2024, the United States Preventive Services Task Force updated their breast cancer screening guidelines. It is now recommended that women over the age of 40 have a mammogram every other year until they reach the age of 75. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), regular screening can reduce breast cancer deaths by 26 percent.

Boswell said, even with this knowledge, it can be difficult for women to work a mammogram into a busy schedule.

“I see women who constantly prioritize others over themselves as they juggle their competing priorities,” explains Boswell. “While managing their careers, families, aging parents and so on, they have little time to spare for the multiple appointments needed to keep up with their recommended screenings.”

Boswell emphasized that while it can be daunting to sign up for any medical appointment, CRH is ready to provide assistance and serve as a partner to each individual patient.

On April 9, in collaboration with Clemson Rural Health, Prisma Health’s mammography bus will be stationed outside of Edwards Hall to provide breast cancer screenings for faculty and staff. Clemson Rural Health staff will also be providing cervical and colorectal cancer screenings as indicated by a patient’s health history.

Mammogram orders from a primary care provider are required to schedule an appointment for a mammogram. CRH’s Clemson Community Primary Care will have appointments available for patients who need an order but do not currently have a primary care provider. To speak to a representative about eligibility or schedule an appointment, call 864-656-3076.

The deadline to schedule an appointment is March 26.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where will I park?
Clemson Community Primary Care provides free, dedicated patient parking in front of Edwards Hall.

How will I pay?
Clemson Rural Health and Prisma Health will bill insurance for the services received. Please refer to individual insurance plans to determine if both health care providers are in-network. Assistance programs are available for uninsured or underinsured patients. Call 864-656-3076 for eligibility.

What if I cannot get a mammogram order from my primary care provider before the deadline?
Patients can schedule an appointment at Clemson Community Primary Care, CRH’s on-campus primary care clinic, by calling 864-656-3076 to receive a mammogram order.

If I cannot make it on April 9, when will the mammography bus be back on campus?
Clemson Rural Health will host the Prisma Health mammography bus again on October 21.

About Clemson Rural Health
Clemson Rural Health is the organizing framework for Clemson’s health service delivery and prevention efforts statewide – with locations including the Clemson Health Clinic at Walhalla; Clemson Health Clinic at Orangeburg; Clemson Community Primary Care, home of the Joseph F. Sullivan Center; Clemson Rural Health Support Office at Abbeville; and a fleet of Clemson Rural Health mobile health units. CRH’s vision is to transform health outcomes in rural and underserved communities by reducing premature mortality, decreasing preventable hospitalizations and improving overall quality of life in the regions it serves.

Clemson Rural Health is a part of the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, a 21st-century land-grant college joining together a unique combination of schools and departments: communication; nursing; parks, recreation and tourism management; political science; psychology; public health sciences; and sociology, anthropology and criminal justice. These areas have distinctive characteristics and missions – all joined together by a common thread of service to people and communities. For more information, visit ClemsonRuralHealth.org