Sonora Quest and Banner Health got Breast Cancer Awareness Month started early this week with a stop of the BIG Pink Bus for mobile mammography.

Banner’s bus, which offers 3D mammogram screenings, was at Sonora Quest’s offices, 424 S. 56th St., on Sept. 25 as a way to bolster it’s employee health campaign and increase cancer screenings for workers. Breast Cancer Awareness Month typically kicks off Oct. 1.

The BIG Pink Bus offers some of the latest mammogram technology and the same equipment found at Banner MD Anderson facilities, officials said.

Recommended guidelines state patients have a screening mammogram every year, starting at age 40. By offering 3D mammography appointments on site through BIG Pink Bus, Sonora Quest removed some barriers to screening for its employees, such as taking time off work to get it done.

“Screening is so important for early detection and successful treatment,” said Sonora Quest Chief Operating Officer Sonya Engle in a press release. “I am incredibly proud to work for an organization that makes it easy for our employees to get screened.”

Banner officials said the bus is ideal for those people who need something closer to keep up with screenings.

“The BIG Pink Bus serves as a crucial resource for women seeking mammograms but are unable to reach an imaging site, ensuring they have a convenient option for staying on top of their preventative screenings,” said Emily Duran, community outreach representative for the BIG Pink Bus at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center. “And employee well-being programs can help empower women to stay on top of their health – the Bus being at Sonora Quest today is a perfect example of that.”