San Juan, Puerto Rico (March 30, 2026) – Vimenti announced the launch of a strategic collaboration with the Puerto Rico Community Engagement Alliance (PR-CEAL), part of the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center, as part of the research project titled Active Mammography Monitoring and Outreach (MAMO). This partnership reinforces both organizations’ commitment to prevention, health equity, and the overall well-being of the communities they serve.
“At the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center, we recognize that early detection saves lives, but it is only effective when people have both awareness and access to services,” said Karelys I. Canales Birriel, health educator at PR-CEAL. “Through the MAMO project, in collaboration with Vimenti, we are providing education on the importance of mammography for cancer prevention and offering practical solutions to the most common barriers women face, such as lack of transportation and access to information. This effort is expected to help reduce these barriers and empower women in Puerto Rico to get screened.”
The MAMO study will directly impact women between the ages of 40 and 74 who have not had a mammogram in two or more years. In addition, the study includes personalized guidance on the importance of early detection; step-by-step support to schedule appointments; follow-up through the completion of the screening and receipt of results; and assistance in identifying and overcoming barriers related to obtaining a mammogram. Some participants may be referred to healthcare providers trained to address these needs in a sensitive and effective manner.
As part of the collaboration, Vimenti will integrate the PR-CEAL team into its community spaces, including health fairs, community events, family gatherings, and other organizational activities—bringing this support directly to individuals and families within its service ecosystem. This effort will have a direct impact on Vimenti’s participating communities in the municipalities of San Juan and Guaynabo, including full-service community schools and surrounding neighborhoods.
“This alliance represents a strategic expansion of our comprehensive wellness approach. At Vimenti, we work to eliminate structural barriers that affect families’ quality of life, and timely access to preventive healthcare is one of them. Partnering with PR-CEAL at the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center allows us to provide education, support, and concrete solutions directly to the communities that need them most,” said Olga Cristina Fernández, Director of Corporate Partnerships at Vimenti.
This collaboration reaffirms Vimenti’s model as an integrated family services center, aligning efforts with academic and healthcare institutions to generate sustainable impact, promote prevention, and advance healthier, more equitable communities.
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About Vimenti:
Vimenti is an integrated service center for the whole family with three pillars: educational, social, and economic development. It was created in 2018 as a Two-Generation service model to provide social development and economic mobility opportunities to parents and children as a whole, as well as youths and adults. Currently, we have two locations: Vimenti I, located in the Ernesto Ramos Antonini public housing project in San Juan, and Vimenti II, in Villa Prades. Vimenti operates the first public alliance school in Puerto Rico, has an after-school program for children and youth, and a job development program for youth and adults in hospitality, customer service, and entrepreneurship. The center aspires to be an evidence-based project. For more information about Vimenti, go to www.vimenti.org/. For donations, go to www.vimenti.org/donate.