Newswise — Red Bank, NJ – May 4, 2017 – Thanks to a very generous $500,000 pledge from the Sansone Foundation founded by Enilda and Paul Sansone, Sr.,  Riverview Medical Center added a third tomosynthesis breast imaging machine in April 2017. Tomosynthesis, or 3D mammography, is the latest advancement in mammography technology, providing radiologists with clearer and more accurate images of breast tissue.

Unlike with standard mammography, the 3-dimensional machine takes multiple x-ray pictures of each breast from many angles. In total, 11 images are taken during a seven second exanimation. The results are then sent to a computer and read by a specialized radiologist who looks for abnormalities in the breast tissue.

“Early detection is the key to breast cancer outcomes,” says Tim Hogan, FACHE, president of Riverview Medical Center and Bayshore Medical Center. “We are extremely grateful to Paul and Enilda for this generous donation, which will undoubtedly help more women in our community find and beat breast cancer.”

In addition to providing a more accurate reading and diagnosis, 3D mammography provides a more comfortable experience for patients. The breast is positioned in the same way as in a traditional 2D mammogram, but with less pressure, using only enough to keep it stable.

“All of my life, I have been working to make life easier and better for people,” says Paul Sansone, Sr. “People know me for being in the car business, but in reality, I’m in the people business. I’m not just selling a car, I’m providing a way for someone to get to and from work, to bring their kids to school or soccer, or to create memories on a road trip.”

“This donation will help to make life better for the women of our community by providing better imaging and a more pleasant experience and I’m thrilled to be able to play a part in that,” says Enilda Sansone. “An investment in the health of fellow women is an investment in all of our families, and I am proud to be a part of this great work being done at Riverview each day.”

Active in their community and in the fight for a healthier community, particularly one without cancer, the Sansone’s support several organizations besides Riverview, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“It’s important to give back,” says Paul. “I believe that one day a cure for cancer will be found, but until that day, it’s important to support the cause however we can. I know that by donating this incredible piece of technology at Riverview, we can help make breast cancer a thing of the past for our community.”

For more information about the Booker Women’s Center at Riverview Medical Center, please call 732-530-2305. To make a donation to the Riverview Medical Center Foundation, please visit www.meridianhealth.com/GIVE or contact Jennifer Smith, senior executive director, at 732-751-5115 or [email protected].

About Riverview Medical Center

Riverview Medical Center, a member of the Hackensack Meridian Health Family, is a 463-bed not-for-profit community hospital located on the Navesink River in Red Bank, New Jersey. Riverview Medical Center provides health care programs and services in all major medical disciplines including: maternity, surgical services, emergency and critical cancer services. Riverview’s Cancer Care Center offers comprehensive cancer services close to home, while Riverview’s Jane H. Booker Women and Children’s Center combines expertise and convenience to address preventative health, diagnosis, treatment, and support for women of all ages. Riverview Rehabilitation Center is Monmouth County’s only fully-accredited inpatient rehabilitation facility, and Riverview is a designated Primary Stroke Center and has also maintained prestigious Magnet designation for Nursing Excellence since 1998. Riverview is the only hospital in the region with the groundbreaking CyberKnife® system, offering new hope for patients with inaccessible or inoperable tumors. For more information about Riverview Medical Center and Meridian Health, please call 1-800-DOCTORS or visit www.riverviewmedicalcenter.com.

About Hackensack Meridian Health

Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care.  Hackensack Meridian Health comprises 13 hospitals, including two academic medical centers, two children’s hospitals and nine community hospitals, physician practices, more than 120 ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, and urgent care and after-hours centers. Hackensack Meridian Health has 28,000 team members, more than 6,000 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

The Network’s notable distinctions include having one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more consecutive years, the number one hospital in New Jersey as ranked by U.S. News and World Report, consistently achieving Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, recipient of the John M. Eisenberg Award for Patient Safety and Quality from The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum, a six-time recipient of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” one of the “20 Best Workplaces in Health Care” in the nation, and the number one “Best Place to Work for Women.”  Hackensack Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies.

The hospitals of Hackensack Meridian Health include: academic medical centers - HackensackUMC in Hackensack, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune; children’s hospitals - Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital in Hackensack, K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital in Neptune; community hospitals -  Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, HackensackUMC Mountainside in Montclair, Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, and HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley in Westwood.

To learn more, visit www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org.