A new CEO steps into The Rose and immediately confronts the realities behind 60,000
annual screenings: rural healthcare deserts, under‑reimbursed mammograms, and an
aging but essential mobile fleet.

During this conversation, COO Jessica Duckworth sits down with Angie Lane to talk about
what surprised her most in her first six weeks, why 3D mammography on five pink
coaches is non‑negotiable for twenty‑six Texas counties with no freestanding imaging,
and how shrinking insurance and Medicare payments make patient navigation and
financial stewardship core to The Rose’s future.

Support The Rose HERE.

Subscribe to Let’s Talk About Your Breasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Key Questions Answered

1. What did Angie learn in her first weeks about serving 60,000 women a year across
forty‑five counties?
2. How do The Rose’s five mobile coaches deliver 3D mammograms in counties with no
imaging centers at all?
3. Why does Angie describe many of The Rose’s service areas as “healthcare deserts”?
4. What does it actually cost The Rose to provide a screening compared to what many
insurers and Medicare reimburse?
5. How does Angie connect her new role to her experience as a working mother who might
have to lose a day’s work just to reach the medical center?
6. Why does she see patient navigation as a uniquely important service for women who
receive a cancer diagnosis?
7. How does Angie’s personal experience hearing a difficult diagnosis about her child
shape her empathy for patients at The Rose?
8. What financial priorities does Angie name for keeping The Rose stable while
maintaining high standards of care?
9. How does Jessica frame the dual challenge of limited healthcare options and limited
health insurance in rural Texas?

Timestamped Overview
00:00 Jessica welcomes listeners, introduces herself as COO of The Rose, and frames
the episode as a chance for the community to meet new CEO Angie Lane.
00:25 Angie thanks Jessica and shares her awe at the scale of The Rose’s work,
including serving 60,000 women annually and operating the largest mobile
mammography fleet in Texas.
00:30 She describes the five RV coaches, their 24‑hour air‑conditioning, bumpy rural
roads, and sophisticated equipment required to bring mammograms to areas without
freestanding clinics.
01:13 Jessica notes that out of The Rose’s forty‑five‑county service area, twenty‑six
counties have no freestanding mammography units, making the mobile fleet essential.
01:19 She adds that the coaches carry 3D mammography, the gold standard, which
many local facilities still do not offer.
01:33 Angie reflects on growing up near the Texas Medical Center, contrasts that
access with surrounding counties she now sees as healthcare deserts, and imagines
the burden on working mothers who would have to take a full day to reach the medical
center for routine screening.
02:21 Jessica points out that rural communities face deserts in both healthcare services
and health insurance coverage, compounding access gaps.
02:50 Angie explains that providing a mammogram can cost The Rose around $300,
while some reimbursements come in around $150–$175, and says closing that gap
without sacrificing quality is a priority.
03:36 Jessica highlights The Rose’s patient navigation program and asks Angie how
she views its importance and future.
04:11 Angie calls navigation one of The Rose’s most important services, connects it to
her own experience hearing a diagnosis about her child, and underscores how
overwhelming cancer can be even for people already working in healthcare.
06:00 Angie talks about the emotional load on patients and families and why having a
skilled, compassionate navigator alongside them can change the experience of
treatment.
07:15 Jessica and Angie touch briefly on funder conversations, the need to explain that
support goes far beyond “just a mammogram,” and how navigation, follow‑up, and
system gaps factor into funding requests.
09:30 Angie closes by returning to her core goal: protecting access and quality for every
woman The Rose serves while steering the organization safely through shifting
reimbursement and rural need.

A new CEO steps into The Rose and immediately confronts the realities behind 60,000 annual screenings: rural healthcare deserts, under‑reimbursed mammograms, and an aging but essential mobile fleet.
During this conversation, COO Jessica Duckworth sits down with Angie Lane to talk about what surprised her most in her first six weeks, why 3D mammography on five pink coaches is non‑negotiable for twenty‑six Texas counties with no freestanding imaging, and how shrinking insurance and Medicare payments make patient navigation and financial stewardship core to The Rose&rsquo;s future.
Support The Rose <a href="https://secure.therose.org/site/Donation2%3Bjsessionid=00000000.app30118a?df_id=1480&amp;mfc_pref=T&amp;1480.donation=form1&amp;NONCE_TOKEN=6FEB2388BD63E0937C3FD34555AF1B9F">HERE</a>.
Subscribe to Let&rsquo;s Talk About Your Breasts on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-talk-about-your-breasts/id1666101320">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6o9cXAie2Mfqhq6tQWrClj">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1300-lets-talk-about-your-brea-107408811/">iHeart</a>, and wherever you get <a href="https://therose.org/podcasts/">your podcasts</a>.
Key Questions Answered
1. What did Angie learn in her first weeks about serving 60,000 women a year across forty‑five counties? 2. How do The Rose&rsquo;s five mobile coaches deliver 3D mammograms in counties with no imaging centers at all? 3. Why does Angie describe many of The Rose&rsquo;s service areas as &ldquo;healthcare deserts&rdquo;? 4. What does it actually cost The Rose to provide a screening compared to what many insurers and Medicare reimburse? 5. How does Angie connect her new role to her experience as a working mother who might have to lose a day&rsquo;s work just to reach the medical center? 6. Why does she see patient navigation as a uniquely important service for women who receive a cancer diagnosis? 7. How does Angie&rsquo;s personal experience hearing a difficult diagnosis about her child shape her empathy for patients at The Rose? 8. What financial priorities does Angie name for keeping The Rose stable while maintaining high standards of care? 9. How does Jessica frame the dual challenge of limited healthcare options and limited health insurance in rural Texas?
Timestamped Overview 00:00 Jessica welcomes listeners, introduces herself as COO of The Rose, and frames the episode as a chance for the community to meet new CEO Angie Lane. 00:25 Angie thanks Jessica and shares her awe at the scale of The Rose&rsquo;s work, including serving 60,000 women annually and operating the largest mobile mammography fleet in Texas. 00:30 She describes the five RV coaches, their 24‑hour air‑conditioning, bumpy rural roads, and sophisticated equipment required to bring mammograms to areas without freestanding clinics. 01:13 Jessica notes that out of The Rose&rsquo;s forty‑five‑county service area, twenty‑six counties have no freestanding mammography units, making the mobile fleet essential. 01:19 She adds that the coaches carry 3D mammography, the gold standard, which many local facilities still do not offer. 01:33 Angie reflects on growing up near the Texas Medical Center, contrasts that access with surrounding counties she now sees as healthcare deserts, and imagines the burden on working mothers who would have to take a full day to reach the medical center for routine screening. 02:21 Jessica points out that rural communities face deserts in both healthcare services and health insurance coverage, compounding access gaps. 02:50 Angie explains that providing a mammogram can cost The Rose around $300, while some reimbursements come in around $150&ndash;$175, and says closing that gap without sacrificing quality is a priority. 03:36 Jessica highlights The Rose&rsquo;s patient navigation program and asks Angie how she views its importance and future. 04:11 Angie calls navigation one of The Rose&rsquo;s most important services, connects it to her own experience hearing a diagnosis about her child, and underscores how overwhelming cancer can be even for people already working in healthcare. 06:00 Angie talks about the emotional load on patients and families and why having a skilled, compassionate navigator alongside them can change the experience of treatment. 07:15 Jessica and Angie touch briefly on funder conversations, the need to explain that support goes far beyond &ldquo;just a mammogram,&rdquo; and how navigation, follow‑up, and system gaps factor into funding requests. 09:30 Angie closes by returning to her core goal: protecting access and quality for every woman The Rose serves while steering the organization safely through shifting reimbursement and rural need.

The Rose Breast Center of Excellence presents Let's Talk About Your Breasts with Dorothy Gibbons.

Each week, Dorothy hosts candid conversations with an array of people in the breast cancer community. From doctors and employees to donors and individuals who influence policy, you'll learn all there is to know about the disease which impacts so many women in our community.

The Rose Breast Center of Excellence presents Let's Talk About Your Breasts with Dorothy Gibbons.
Each week, Dorothy hosts candid conversations with an array of people in the breast cancer community. From doctors and employees to donors and individuals who influence policy, you'll learn all there is to know about the disease which impacts so many women in our community.

Let's Talk About Your Breasts

The Rose Breast Center of Excellence presents Let's Talk About Your Breasts with Dorothy Gibbons.


Each week, Dorothy hosts candid conversations with an array of people in the breast cancer community. From doctors and employees to donors and individuals who influence policy, you'll learn all there is to know about the disease which impacts so many women in our community.

The Rose Breast Center of Excellence presents Let's Talk About Your Breasts with Dorothy Gibbons.
 Each week, Dorothy hosts candid conversations with an array of people in the breast cancer community. From doctors and employees to donors and individuals who influence policy, you'll learn all there is to know about the disease which impacts so many women in our community.