LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Las Vegas woman says she panicked after receiving a letter from Summerlin Hospital informing her that the facility's mammography services failed to meet federal quality standards and would no longer be offered.
Salli Schwartz was one of dozens of patients who received the notification, according to responses on a Nextdoor social media thread. The letter referenced findings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under the Mammography Quality Standards Act, the federal program that ensures mammography facilities have properly working equipment, produce clear, reliable images, and use trained, certified staff.
WATCH: Abel Garcia talks to Salli Schwartz, a woman who received a letter informing her facility's mammography services failed to meet federal quality standards
"I panicked. I became very distraught. I became very hyper. I was running around the house here. I don't handle that well," Schwartz said.
The letter states that the FDA found Summerlin Hospital failed to meet clinical image quality standards for mammograms performed between October 2023 and December 2025. These standards are designed to ensure women can trust that their mammogram images meet strict quality benchmarks created to catch cancer early.
For Schwartz, the concern is deeply personal. Her mother died at age 57 from breast cancer, and her aunt also died from the disease.
"I said these people don't upgrade their equipment or maintain it or something," Schwartz said after reading about the facility's failure to meet standards.
When Schwartz posted about receiving the letter on Nextdoor, she discovered she wasn't alone.
"I posted what happened, and an amazing amount of women replied that they'd received that letter. I was like horrified," Schwartz said.
A spokesperson for Valley Health System, which includes Summerlin Hospital, said in a statement: "Any patient who received the letter was instructed in the letter to contact their own provider and discuss whether their mammogram needed to be reviewed or repeated. We take any concerns very seriously, and quality patient care is our highest priority."
The hospital says it will cover the costs for any re-evaluation or repeat mammogram at another MQSA-certified facility.
For Schwartz, the issue goes beyond financial compensation.
"It's the principle of the matter," Schwartz said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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