Breast Health Centers Offer Early Detection
for Patients

Fern Dennis considers it ironic. For 18 years, she ran the mammography services for Lee Memorial Health System. So
naturally, when The Sanctuary – LMHS’ new breast health center – opened in May, Fern volunteered to be one of the first women to undergo a digital mammogram.

“The minute I saw the image, I could tell there was a problem,” says Fern, who has recently been diagnosed with breast
cancer. “I looked at the radiologist and we both went, ‘Uh-oh.’ If it wasn’t for the new equipment, if it wasn’t for the hospital
investing in digital mammography, it probably could have gone a few more years before my condition was spotted.”

Fern says looking at digital images feels like looking through a sharper magnifying glass. Edges appear clearer and crisper. She credits digital screening with finding the cancer hiding in her dense tissue and encourages other women who may have a family history or a personal history of breast cancer to seek the services of The Sanctuary Outpatient Center.

“All of our technologists are efficient, highly trained and dedicated specifically to breast health,” says Diana Hammock, R.T. (R)(M),
Manager of the Breast Health Centers. “This is the field of expertise they have dedicated themselves to.”

Besides screening and diagnostic digital mammography, The Sanctuary offers ultrasounds of breasts, ultrasound-guided
biopsies, cyst aspirations, breast MRI and MRI breast biopsies, stereotactic breast biopsies, even bone densitometry to assess a
patient’s risk of developing osteoporosis.

“You can have all the equipment in the world, all the state-of-the-art gadgets, but it’s nothing if you don’t have that personal
touch,” says Breast Health Nurse Navigator Dara Leichter, who literally helps patients diagnosed with breast cancer navigate their next steps through the health system. “It’s the biggest thing I hear, people here really make you feel like you’re not a number, you’re not shot right through, it’s that personal touch.”

Complimentary yoga, meditation, creative journaling and the healing garden near The Sanctuary all reiterate how the breast
health center treats the whole patient, not just a breast. “It’s stressful, even though the statistics say 80 percent of all biopsies
are benign, it doesn’t help when you’re in those shoes, trying to wait for a diagnosis,” continues Dara. “It’s one of the most high
anxiety times, and at our center, you do have somebody to talk to.”

A recent survey by the American Cancer Society reports one out of nine women in the United States develops breast cancer.
The more and more numbers Fern hears, the louder and louder she will advocate for regular mammograms. She does not want
women to hesitate, waiting for a digital appointment.

Today is the day that women must stop putting themselves last on the priority list. Make an appointment for a digital or regular
mammogram today.