Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) celebrated the opening of its new Mammography Imaging Center with a ribbon-cutting on July 15, marking the completion of a project designed to improve patient experience, increase access to breast imaging services, and enhance clinical efficiency.
The new facility brings screening and diagnostic mammography services together in one location, eliminating the long-standing need for patients to navigate between separate areas of the hospital for imaging, follow-up testing, and biopsies.
The project also expands screening capacity with the addition of a third mammography room and replaces two aging mammography units with the latest imaging technology from Hologic. Later this month, the center will begin offering contrast-enhanced mammography, an advanced imaging option that improves cancer detection in women with dense breast tissue and provides a more affordable, timely alternative to breast MRI for some patients.
The redesigned space also features updated changing areas and a private consultation room where providers can discuss results with patients and their loved ones.
“What we’ve accomplished here is an environment that supports, welcomes and embraces women who are probably going through one of the most nerve-wracking 15-minute procedures they’ll have all year,” said Joanne M. Conroy, MD, CEO and president of Dartmouth Health.
“This is a beautiful facility for screening mammography, diagnostic mammography, and biopsies,” said David M. Naeger, MD, FACR, FAAR, chair of the department of radiology at Dartmouth Health, and vice president of the radiology service line. “We wanted to create a kind, welcoming and warm space for patients undergoing a procedure that can be very anxiety-provoking. This project was made possible through the collaboration of many people and we’re grateful to everyone who helped bring it to life on behalf of our patients.”
Chriss Kvinlaug, senior manager of clinical operations in radiology at DHMC, said the project modernizes breast imaging services while helping meet growing demand across the region.
“We’re very excited that we were able to elevate the space and make it relevant for women’s health in 2026,” said Kvinlaug. “Integrating our screening and diagnostic services gives us a greater ability to meet the needs of patients requiring mammography screening and diagnostic studies throughout the Upper Valley and beyond.”
To learn more about breast imaging services at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, visit dartmouth-hitchock.org/breast-health.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and largest private employer, serves patients across New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,300 providers in nearly every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH. Its network of hospitals, outpatient centers, clinics and home care facilities, spans a broad geographical area. Year after year, DHMC is named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is consistently recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, northern New England’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of less than than 60 total nationally; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital (Children’s Hospital at DHMC/CHaD) and more than 20 locations around the region; eight member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont, Hampstead, and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Dartmouth Health Home Care; Dartmouth Health Connected Care Center for Telehealth, serving patients as far away as Texas; and more than 30 primary and multi-specialty clinics across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its partnership with Dartmouth College, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and the White River Junction VA Medical Center, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials with international impact. Dartmouth Health and its more than 16,000 employees are committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in the communities it serves and to providing every patient with exceptional, state-of-the-art, personalized care. Learn more at dartmouth-health.org.