Winning for Women
MedStar Regional Breast Health Program Recognized for Excellence
“Getting that phone call to return to the breast imaging center to discuss an abnormality in my mammogram was very scary,” says Maria, who admits she cried herself to sleep thinking of the unthinkable while she awaited her next visit to find out if she may be the first in her family to have breast cancer.
MSMHC President Christine R. Wray
One in eight women in the United States will get breast cancer in her lifetime. It is the second most diagnosed cancer in women in the U.S., and the number of new cases has risen each year since 2000. With early detection, the survival rate for breast cancer is 95 percent. This means that regular screening and quality care is not only helpful, but essential. And at MedStar Regional Hospital Center in Clinton, Maryland, their work to become that essential place where women like Maria can find excellent quality care as well as hope was recently recognized.
Recognition
Finding excellent quality care is as easy as checking to see which medical facility has been recognized in their respective fields.
Dr. Anna Choi
The American College of Radiology (ACR) which is at the forefront of radiology evolution, recently designated the MedStar Regional Breast Health Program at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center (MSMHC) as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence (BICOE). The BICOE designation is awarded to breast imaging centers that achieve excellence by seeking and earning accreditation in all of the ACR’s voluntary accreditation programs and modules, according to Anna H. Choi, MD, Chief of Radiology at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center. MSMHC is accredited by this organization in Mammography, Stereotactic biopsy, Breast ultrasound, Ultrasound guided biopsy, and Breast MRI (via a relationship with MedStar Washington Hospital Center).
“The breast imaging team has been instrumental in maintaining high standards and meeting the high bar set forth by the American College of Radiology (ACR),” said Dr. Choi. “I am very proud of the teamwork!”
MSMHC employs a team approach to treat breast health, of which Dr. Choi, as a breast image specialist, is a part. The team also includes a roster of OB/GYN’s, medical and radiation oncologists, a contracted genetic counselor, Dr. Ekaterini Tsiapali, breast surgeon, and Dr. Sarah Sher, plastic surgeon.
“We are honored to receive this recognition,” said MSMHC President Christine R. Wray. “Breast health is a significant health concern for women, and in southern Maryland, they can be reassured by our comprehensive program that includes preventative care, early screening, use of the latest technology and innovations in treatment, surgical options that minimize risk and recovery times, and after-care that is compassionate and diligent in follow-up. We are proud of our program, proud to serve southern Maryland and proud of this attention given by the Commission on Quality and Safety, and the Commission on Breast Imaging with the American College of Radiology.”
Breast Health Services
MSMHC’s breast care experts provide comprehensive breast care for both women and men. They treat a wide range of breast conditions, including breast cancer and benign (non-cancerous) breast disease. They also follow women who are at increased risk for developing breast cancer.
Prevention
Breast health services at MSMHC includes disease prevention. They assess a patient’s risk to breast disease, teach patients how to do breast self-exams, and offer genetic testing which gives people the chance to learn if their breast cancer or family history of breast cancer is due to an inherited genetic mutation.
Evaluation
Routine evaluations include annual well woman exams.
Breast Imaging
The importance of mammograms (x-rays of the breast) to detect breast cancer cannot be underestimated. The breast imaging services at MSMHC includes screening, diagnostic and digital mammography, with breast radiologists to interpret the images, increasing the accuracy of the report. The diagnostic evaluation includes needle localization (of mass that is not palpable during an exam), open surgical biopsy, frozen section pathology (where a pathologist takes a portion of the tissue mass, quick freezes it in a cryostat machine, cuts it into thin slices and then stains it with various dyes so that it can be examined under the microscope – the procedure takes just minutes and allows for a quick diagnosis during surgery), as well as stereotactic biopsy (where mammography can precisely identify the abnormality within the breast and a needle biopsy can be done), and sentinel node biopsy (a surgical procedure used to determine whether cancer has spread beyond the primary tumor and into the lymph nodes).
Treatment
Comprehensive treatment plans are available at MSMHC for benign breast disease and breast pain, fine needle aspiration, lumpectomy, partial or total mastectomy, reconstructive surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.
When women like Maria get that worrisome call about an abnormality in their mammogram, it is reassuring to know that there’s one less thing to worry about. The recent recognition of excellence given to the breast health specialists at SMHC’s breast health center means they can rely on being given the best fighting chance.
