Advances on the breast health front at Franklin hospital
Now that Angel Medical Center has paid off the Hologic digital mammography system through the generous support of many individuals and organizations, we have our sights set on purchasing the Hologic stereotactic breast biopsy machine.
When an individual is notified of a positive finding in the mammogram, a surgeon performs a biopsy of the affected tissue to see if the cells are cancerous. Currently, a mobile unit arrives at the hospital every other week with the equipment necessary to perform this biopsy. Recognizing that two weeks can be an eternity for someone who has received the news of a positive finding, the trustees of Angel Medical Center have decided to purchase our own stereotactic breast biopsy equipment. Surgeries can be scheduled immediately and our patients will no longer experience the anxiety waiting for the mobile unit.
Over the past year, I have spoken to a number of breast cancer survivors and learned that breast cancer affects numerous women and men in Macon County. We are planning to create a Center of Excellence with comprehensive care offering a range of state-of-the-art services to our residents and visitors. We are excited about the breast health center becoming a reality, where our patients will receive unsurpassed care and comfort when they come to our community hospital for their health care needs.
Some of the features of our breast health center include a multi-specialty team of surgeons, nurses, oncologists, and radiologists whose approach is to coordinate the best treatment options available to cancer patients, ongoing monitoring and improvement of care, access to cancer-related information, education and support, and a cancer registry that collects data on type and stages of cancer and treatment results. Our overarching goal is to provide quality care close to home.
The Foundation for Angel Medical Center has several events planned to engage the community in fundraising with the proceeds to benefit the breast health center. The Oktoberfest scheduled for October 10 from 6:30 pm until 10:00 pm will take place at Mill Creek Country Club. If you have ever been to Munich for Oktoberfest, our event will take you back to those fun-filled days and nights. Tickets are $50 each and include authentic German food, two beers or two glasses of wine, an exciting Silent Auction and lots of FUN!
If you have the urge to see the world or just tool around our beautiful continent, you can take chances on a $1,500 travel voucher. Tickets are $25 each or 5 for $100.
If you missed the Bras for the Cause Walkathon, you still have the opportunity to see the creative bras that were worn by 85 men and women in July. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and a number of businesses in Macon County are partnering with Angel Medical Center to honor and memorialize those who have been affected by this menacing disease. Participating merchants will display a Bra for the Cause, accept donations for the breast health center, and sell the Bras for the Cause calendar for $10 each with the proceeds going to the breast health center.
Tickets and calendars will be available at Angel Medical Center, the Franklin Chamber of Commerce, and from any Foundation Board member. For more information on how you can make support the breast health center, call Bea Sanford at 349-6887 or email bsanford@angelmed.org
Angel Medical Center part of pilot project for Carolina Mammography Registry
Angel Medical Center received a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to be used to purchase tablet PCs and provide training for our employees who will be participating in the Carolina Mammography Registry project. The remaining funds necessary to implement this project have been generously donated by Gay Todsen. Angel Medical Center is using the Carolina Mammography Registry to track mammography data required for annual inspections by the State of North Carolina and the FDA.
Initially funded in 1994 by the Department of Defense, the Carolina Mammography Registry is a population-based mammography and cancer surveillance project. Data collected includes patient demographics, health history, mammography screening and pathology results. The Carolina Mammography Registry approached Angel Medical Center with the opportunity to digitize the paper forms that mammography techs currently use to review the patient’s history and to record the mammography findings as reported by the radiologist. The tablet PCs will be used by Angel’s Radiology Department to gather information directly from patients prior to their mammography screening. The information collected from various health providers by the Carolina Mammography Registry helps scientists spot trends related to breast cancer and serves as a resource for researchers who are interested in studying the outcomes of community-based mammography screening in North Carolina. The Carolina Mammography Registry is located at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
With the installation of the Hologic digital mammography system, Angel Medical Center has seen a dramatic increase in the numbers of women who are requesting the digital mammograms because of the clarity of the images and the reduced radiation exposure. Angel Medical Center is proud to make a difference in the lives of women throughout North Carolina by providing data for research.
Tags: Angel Medical Center, breast cancer, breast health center, Franklin, Health, Macon County, mammogram, North Carolina
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