For Tena Wright, caring for others has always come naturally. Raised between Arkansas and Memphis in a large, close-knit family, she was surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. “We were always together,” she recalls. “That’s where I learned to care — not just for people, but about them.”
Her greatest influence was her grandmother, a petite powerhouse who raised eight children while keeping the family anchored. “She was a little spitfire,” Tena says. “She took care of everyone.”
The Leap into Health Care
Health care felt right, but nursing did not. “There are some illnesses I couldn’t handle, and if I couldn’t do it well, I didn’t want to do it,” she explains. Radiology became her doorway, a way to serve with skill and compassion.
At 30 Tena returned to school. She had children at home and a mortgage to pay. The radiology program was unforgiving; one mistake in shielding a patient could mean dismissal. “It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done,” she admits. She graduated with honors at 34 and began a career with Baptist Health that now spans more than 21 years.
A New Direction
Early on, her mother’s breast cancer drew her to mammography. She saw how mammograms can miss cancers in women with dense tissue, cases later found by ultrasound after a lump was felt.
A gap remained: women were told they could not access whole-breast ultrasound for screening. “It was heartbreaking,” she recalls. “Each time I prayed for guidance, another patient needed more. God made it clear I had to act.”
That calling led her to Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS), which captures a 3D image of the entire breast, independent of the technologist. Unlike handheld ultrasound, ABUS images all tissue, and a fellowship-trained radiologist reviews it. Using sound waves, it can detect cancers that mammograms miss, especially in dense breasts.
A Leap of Faith
With no local hospital offering ABUS, Tena and her husband stepped out in faith and invested their savings to launch Gulf Island Medical Imaging. “I’m not a businesswoman,” she says. “I’m a servant. But when you get the call, you don’t say no.” It was a personal and financial risk, grounded in the belief that God asked them to bring this technology to Pensacola.
They built the clinic on one principle: no woman will be turned away for lack of resources. Scans are $390, with flexible payment options and the ability to self-refer without waiting for insurance authorization.
Redefining Care
At Gulf Island Medical Imaging, Tena has reimagined the experience. “I don’t even call them patients,” she says. “They’re part of our family.” The space is warm and personal, not clinical. She talks openly with every client, answers questions, and offers text communication after hours.
Her approach has built loyalty. Many women refuse to schedule their annual scans with anyone else. One, moved to tears, once asked, “Tena, what are we going to do when you retire?” Tena smiled: “Don’t worry. I’m never retiring.”
Vision for the Future
Tena’s mission is simple: accessibility. She wants every woman who needs ABUS to have it, regardless of finances. She is partnering with local charities and spreading awareness through community events. “Fifty percent of women have dense breasts, and mammograms alone miss half of early cancers in those women,” she explains. “We can change that story. We can save lives.”
Despite doubt and old habits, she presses forward, challenging what she calls “the giants” of outdated thinking. “This technology is not like a handheld ultrasound. It’s apples and oranges.”
More than a career, this is a calling. Guided by faith, supported by family, and driven by compassion, Tena Wright has built not only a clinic, but hope for women in Pensacola and beyond.
Sidebar
“Gulf Islands Medical Imaging, is the exclusive provider of Automated Whole Breast Ultrasound (ABUS) in the greater Pensacola area. Every scan is reviewed by our dedicated, Harvard-trained breast radiologist."