Orlando Health is making it a little easier — and a lot more welcoming — to stay on top of breast health this fall. The hospital system has organized a series of "Sip & Screen" events at locations across Orange and Osceola counties, where attendees can get a mammogram or schedule a future screening while enjoying mocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and other activities.
The first event takes place Tuesday, August 25, at Orlando Health – Health Central Hospital. A second event is set for September 26 at Orlando Health St. Cloud Hospital, though that location will offer scheduling only rather than same-day mammograms. The series wraps up October 21 at Orlando Health Horizon West Hospital, just ahead of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Dr. Jeffrey Smith, a breast cancer surgeon with the Orlando Health Cancer Institute, emphasized why the timing matters: early detection can significantly improve patient outcomes, making it worthwhile not to put off a screening until the calendar flips to October. The American Cancer Society estimates that roughly 1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer during her lifetime.
Philip Koovakada, senior vice president of Orlando Health and president of Orlando Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, described the series as a team effort among the system's South Region hospitals, designed to give the broader community more access points for screenings throughout late summer and fall.
Information on the Sip & Screen events was originally reported by WFTV Channel 9.
