Samaritan Medical Center adds advanced breast imaging system in Watertown

Samaritan Medical Center held a ribbon-cutting Thursday, Oct. 15, for a new contrast-enhanced mammography system at its Women’s Wellness and Breast Care Center in Watertown. The technology is intended to expand access to advanced breast imaging and help identify breast cancer earlier.

The Samaritan Medical Center Foundation received a $575,000 grant from the Saint Agatha Foundation to make the system possible. Samaritan said it performs about 55 mammograms each day.

Contrast-enhanced mammography combines mammographic imaging with a contrast examination. Samaritan said the system highlights areas of increased blood flow that can point to breast cancer. It can also be used to monitor whether a tumor is shrinking, remaining stable or growing during chemotherapy.

Before the system was added, patients seeking this level of breast imaging generally had to travel to Syracuse or Rochester. Samaritan said access to contrast-enhanced mammography remains limited in Northern New York and described its Watertown center as the only site in Jefferson County offering breast MRI.

Samaritan said the new system has sensitivity comparable to breast MRI and may offer higher specificity, potentially reducing unnecessary biopsies. It also may be an option for patients who cannot have or tolerate an MRI. Dr. Kelly McAlarney, a Samaritan radiologist, said the test is quicker to perform, process and read than an MRI and is easier for patients.

The Saint Agatha Foundation grant was part of a $2.3 million funding round announced Aug. 4 for eight health care providers. The foundation, established in 2004, has primarily supported financial assistance for uninsured and underinsured breast cancer patients. The 2026 funding round also supported equipment for prevention and early detection.

Samaritan’s Women’s Wellness and Breast Care Center is listed at 1575 Washington St. in Watertown. The Women’s Wellness line is 315-785-4155, and the Breast Care line is 315-370-3704. Samaritan Medical Center and its foundation are providing updates about the new imaging service through Samaritan Health.