A new state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging center that will expand access to breast cancer detection and other advanced imaging services opened Friday in downtown Newark. Sheryl Swoopes, a three-time WNBA champion, Olympic gold medalist and advocate for breast cancer screenings, joined Ras J. Baraka, mayor of Newark, First Lady Linda Baraka and the New Jersey Imaging Network (NJIN) team to celebrate the opening of the NJIN center.
The center’s debut comes on the eve of the Let’s Talk Women’s Health & Wellness Symposium, taking place Saturday, March 14 at NJPAC in Newark. Now in its fourth year, the symposium has grown into New Jersey’s largest women’s health event, bringing together experts, advocates and community members for a day focused on prevention and wellness. NJIN is a major sponsor of the event.
Located at 609 Broad Street inside the historic Hahne’s Building, the New Jersey Imaging Network Center offers advanced diagnostic services including 3D mammography, ultrasound, DEXA scans and a 3T wide-bore MRI, bringing high-level imaging care to downtown Newark.
The new facility also addresses longstanding healthcare access challenges in the community. At 27 percent, Newark’s poverty rate stands at nearly three times the national average. Cancer ranks among the top three health concerns cited by Essex County residents.
Swoopes’ breast cancer screening advocacy work and her partnership with RadNet, the parent company of New Jersey Imaging Network, is deeply personal. After losing family members and friends to cancer, she says she wants to use her platform to encourage women to prioritize their health. “I’ve seen it affect my family directly. And in the black community, we just don’t have those conversations about health issues that we’re going through, regardless of what it is.”
Swoopes also emphasized the importance of bringing screening and education directly into underserved communities like Newark. The center’s opening comes at a pivotal moment for women’s health in New Jersey.
State legislators are currently advancing breast cancer screening legislation that would eliminate cost-sharing for diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging and expand ultrasound coverage statewide. NJIN, RadNet and Swoopes are strong supporters of the effort.
“I just don’t think we, as women, talk enough about things we’re going through from a health standpoint,” Swoopes said. “I want to use my voice and let women know that none of us are in this alone.”
Swoopes says the resilience she built through her trailblazing career in the WNBA (she was the first player signed to the league) continues to guide her work today. “The journey hasn’t been easy,” she said. “It’s taught me resilience, perseverance and how to believe in myself and keep going when things aren’t going the way you want them to.”
Swoopes is also a strong supporter of Let’s Talk Women’s Health & Wellness, which she says reflects the power of women supporting one another. “I love any event that’s about women,” she said. “It’s about lifting each other up, whether that’s through health, wellness, financial literacy or confidence.”
Let’s Talk Women’s Health & Wellness takes place March 14 at NJPAC in Newark. For more information or tickets, visit the Let’s Talk website.
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