Ariana Saldierna hadn’t initially been concerned about the lump and pain she was experiencing in her right breast. After all, she’d had a similar lump and pain in her left breast more than a decade earlier that had gone away after she had it checked out by a doctor, who advised her to avoid caffeine.

But in February, when the 42-year-old Arlington woman’s symptoms persisted and the lump in her right breast began growing bigger, a worried Saldierna began looking for help.

A friend told her about Texas Health Resources’ Wellness for Life mobile health program, which brings services including screening mammograms, Pap smears and prostate and colon screening kits into communities via specially equipped mobile health vehicles. Qualified individuals who are underinsured or uninsured, like Saldierna, may receive the mobile health services at no cost to them through philanthropic support secured by the Texas Health Resources Foundation.

“Cancer screenings are not a luxury, they are a lifeline, yet the cost can be a significant barrier to these important preventive screenings for those without insurance or underinsured,” said Catherine Oliveros, DrPH, vice president of Community Health Improvement, a part of Texas Health Community Hope. “Our mobile health program increases access to healthcare for underserved populations by bringing these vital screenings into communities, reducing financial, transportation and healthcare access barriers that many North Texans face.”

During an appointment in February at a mobile health event in Arlington, staff immediately recognized Saldierna’s symptoms necessitated more than a screening mammogram. As such, they referred her for diagnostic screenings at the Kupferle Breast Center at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth, where she ultimately learned she had Stage 3 breast cancer.

“The mobile clinic was the start of it all,” Saldierna said. “If I had never gone there, I would have never reached the breast center and would have never realized I had breast cancer.”

In 2024, more than 3,360 women and men were cared for through Texas Health’s mobile health program.

“We host mobile health clinics in communities with the highest needs and the most barriers in accessing such screenings,” said Nina Burgos, B.S.N., R.N., director of the mobile health program. “Last year, 73% of those we served were uninsured or underinsured and met financial screening criteria – people who may have otherwise skipped such screenings due to the costs involved.”

The mobile health program also hosts events offering cervical cancer screenings, adult wellness exams, blood analysis for identifying diabetes or high cholesterol, and chronic disease management services for uninsured patients.

Diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, Saldierna is currently in treatment. The mother of four said she frequently shares her breast cancer story with others to encourage them to get screened and let them know resources like Texas Health’s mobile health program are available to help.

“I hope people find the courage to go out there and get checked,” Saldierna said. “I’m just grateful that it wasn’t too late for me. I still have time. The faster you catch it, the better.”

More information about cancer screening services through the Texas Health Wellness for Life mobile health program can be found here. For a list of upcoming screening mammogram events, click here.