North Dakota launches funding opportunity to bring lifesaving breast cancer screenings closer to home

To help more women access lifesaving breast cancer screenings closer to home, North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) is launching a new $1.5 million funding opportunity to support a mobile mammography unit serving rural and underserved communities in western North Dakota. For many women in western North Dakota, getting a mammogram means taking time off work, arranging transportation and traveling long distances. The funding opportunity is designed to help reduce those barriers by bringing mammography services directly into communities.  

Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women during their lifetime, and early detection remains one of the most effective ways to improve outcomes. When breast cancer is detected early, five-year survival rates can exceed 99%. However, access to screening can be challenging in rural communities where imaging services may not be available nearby. The funding opportunity is designed to help reduce those barriers by bringing mammography services directly into communities.

“When preventive care is available close to home, people are more likely to use it,” said HHS Commissioner Patrick Traynor. “Where you live should not determine how easily you can access potentially lifesaving screenings. By bringing mammography services directly into rural communities, we can help more women receive recommended screenings, detect cancer earlier and improve health outcomes across North Dakota.”

The funding opportunity will help expand access to breast cancer screenings through a mobile mammography unit serving rural and underserved communities in western North Dakota. Equipped with 3D mammography technology, the unit will bring advanced screening services directly to communities where access to imaging services may be limited. The goal is to increase access to recommended screenings and support earlier detection of breast cancer.

Approximately $1.5 million in first-year funding is available through the Rural Health Transformation Program. One award of approximately $1.5 million is expected to be made to an eligible organization serving rural western North Dakota.

Eligible applicants include: 

• Integrated healthcare systems that include a hospital, outpatient clinics and support services
• Rural clinic or hospital systems expanding screening access across multiple counties
• Federally Qualified Health Centers
• Tribes, tribal health organizations and tribal health authorities addressing screening gaps on reservation lands 

Applications are due by June 30, 2026, at 5 p.m. CT. Technical assistance calls for interested applicants will be held June 11, from 1 to 1:45 p.m. CT.

More information about the funding opportunity, including application materials and technical assistance resources, is available at hhs.nd.gov/rural-health-transformation/funding.

The Rural Health Transformation Program is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of a financial assistance award totaling $198,936,969.55, with 100% funded by CMS. The contents are those of North Dakota Health and Human Services and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CMS, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or the U.S. government.