Dr. Bhavika Patel: Strengthening Early Detection in Breast Health

By Victoria Vieira

Early detection can change the course of someone’s life but accessing that care isn’t always simple. Bhavika Patel, M.D., a breast imaging radiologist and clinical researcher at Mayo Clinic, is working to close that gap by combining innovative imaging tools, practical solutions, and strong relationships with local partners. From exploring how transportation affects trial participation to developing thoughtful ways to bring advanced technology to those who need it, Dr. Patel’s approach centers on understanding challenges, building trust, and creating lasting pathways to care.

A calling shaped by prevention and technology

Dr. Bhavika Patel has devoted her career to improving early detection and making sure that everyone can benefit from it. She shared that she was drawn to breast imaging because it connects prevention, technology, and compassionate care in a meaningful way. “The ability to detect cancer earlier, sometimes years before it becomes symptomatic, can dramatically change a patient’s trajectory,” she said. What drives her most is using advanced imaging that benefits all communities.

Transportation: An overlooked obstacle

One of her recent projects focused on something many people don’t expect to affect screening: transportation. Through ongoing conversations with community members, Dr. Patel and her team repeatedly heard that getting to appointments was a real barrier. “Transportation came up repeatedly in our community conversations as a tangible, solvable barrier,” she explained. While screening tools were improving, many women simply couldn’t participate because they had no way to reach the clinic. That reality pushed her team to pilot a rideshare program aimed at removing this obstacle.

Partnerships that strengthen solutions

A major key to the program’s success was collaboration. Dr. Patel emphasized how essential it was to partner with a federally qualified health center (FQHC). She credits leaders at Mayo Clinic, including Donald W. Northfelt, M.D., a hematologist and medical oncologist at Mayo Clinic, for developing long-standing relationships with trusted community partners built over many years. These partners brought deep understanding of local needs and the trust of the community. With their insight, the team created a process that fit both the clinical workflow and the realities of the community. As Dr. Patel explained, “Together, we created a workflow that respected both clinical demands and community context.”

Building programs that last

But launching a program isn’t the same as keeping it alive. Dr. Patel noted that “short-term interventions can spark meaningful change, but sustainability is what drives long-term equity.” To understand what it would take to maintain and strengthen the program, Jessica D. Austin, Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and her team interviewed leaders at Mayo Clinic and partner organizations. These conversations helped identify what worked, what didn’t, and what resources were needed to keep the rideshare option available to women who depend on it.

Technology with a purpose

Dr. Patel also sees a major role for technology in shaping the future of early detection. She is excited about tools such as 3D imaging, computer-aided models, and contrast-based techniques that can reveal subtle findings. But she emphasized that “innovation alone isn’t enough—it has to reach the people who need it most.” She believes the true impact of technology comes when it is thoughtfully paired with strategies that support access in all communities.

Meeting patients where they are

For her, community partnerships remain at the heart of meaningful progress. They ensure that research reflects real needs, builds trust, and introduces new tools in ways that are culturally respectful and comfortable. As she put it, “It’s about moving from research on communities to research with communities, co-developing interventions that are both impactful and sustainable.”

When thinking about how health systems can expand access, Dr. Patel encourages meeting patients where they are. That includes transportation support, flexible scheduling, services in the language patients prefer, and tools that help primary care teams identify risk. Above all, she stresses the importance of listening to the community and investing in systems that support lasting change.

Her motivation comes from the people who are directly affected by these efforts. “What drives me is the chance to test bold, out-of-the-box ideas to improve access—paired with listening closely to our community members about what’s actually working, and what isn’t,” she said. This back-and-forth dialogue helps ensure innovations have long-lasting impact.

Looking toward the future

Looking ahead, Dr. Patel is excited about combining computer-aided risk models with personalized pathways that shift over time, offering care that evolves with each individual. Her team is also working on ways to support fair access to advanced imaging and using real-time dashboards to monitor quality across different communities. As she put it, progress isn’t about doing the most—it’s about “doing what’s right and what’s needed” in a way that supports both patients and the health systems that serve them.

Dr. Patel’s work shows that improving early detection goes far beyond technology—it requires listening, collaboration, and practical solutions that meet people where they are.

By working closely with trusted partners, and by paying attention to what patients and communities say they need, her team continues to create programs that make a real difference. Whether it’s offering easier transportation, designing tools that support primary care, or shaping imaging research around real experiences, Dr. Patel remains committed to making high-quality screening something everyone can reach. Her forward-looking vision reminds us that progress happens when innovation is paired with compassion, and when solutions are built with—rather than for—the people they’re meant to serve.

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