A Vision Realized

Reprinted from Community Connections Newsletter, Winter, 2008

Alta Bates Summit's New Breast Health Center Brings a New Approach in Breast Health to the East Bay

Finding breast cancer in its earliest stages can save a life. That’s the purpose of the new Carol Ann Read Breast Health Center. The specialized services, caring environment and individualized programs will benefit thousands of East Bay women every year.

Alta Bates Summit has long provided exceptional breast care services to women. Now, two Alta Bates Summit physicians who have dedicated their careers to fighting breast cancer–surgical oncologist Lisa Bailey, M.D., and radiologist Ira Kanter, M.D.are helping bring to life their dream of a center devoted solely to breast health. Drs. Bailey and Kanter had long envisioned a national model for patient care and the first center in the East Bay for comprehensive breast cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment. Women sometimes had long waits for test results, and that's very difficult," says Dr. Bailey.

The new Carol Ann Read Breast Health Center is set to open in early 2008, bringing with it the next generation in technology and seamless delivery of services—distinguishing it from all other centers in Northern California. “We wanted women to have a place to come to that is warm and nurturing,” says Dr. Kanter. “Our aim is for the new center to be a place of healing and hope.”

Doctors and Donors Unite

When Peter Read, whose wife, Carol Ann Read, lost her life to breast cancer, learned about the idea from his wife’s doctor and Alta Bates Summit physician, Robert Albo, M.D., he became the lead donor. Other donors followed suit, ultimately giving more than $9.5 million toward the project.

The new site’s groundbreaking was on March 8, 2007. Construction of the new facility, which will be located on the Summit Campus (Providence Pavilion, first floor), will be completed in early 2008. Meanwhile, Alta Bates Summit is bringing on Breast Health Center staff and physician leadership, instituting programs, performing screenings, and buying equipment.

Unified, Specialized Care

Putting the Breast Health Center’s multiple services under one roof will facilitate quicker diagnosis as well as constant communication among all of the various specialists—breast-imaging specialists, surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, and pathologists—and will result in more collaborative treatment.

Dr. Kanter, who brings more than 40 years of experience (specializing in breast imaging for the last 15 years), says, “One of the major benefits of this breast center is that it will bring all diagnostic modalities to one place ... which will make it possible for the quickest turnaround in diagnosis. Having a medical and technical staff that is totally dedicated only to breast diagnosis means that the care of the woman is more efficient, focused and comprehensive.” “There are five major tumor types, and within those types, at least 120 different kinds of breast cancer,” says Meridithe Mendelsohn, the Breast Health Center’s founding manager. “And when you add in the patient’s individual biology, there’s a lot to it. So we wanted a staff of experts who were focused only on breast cancer, who would work closely together and discuss the cases.”

The Breast Health Center’s imaging staff uses digital mammography exclusively, which is a leap forward from traditional analog mammography. “The ability to see very small abnormalities is greatly enhanced by the digital technique,” Dr. Kanter says. The radiologist can manipulate a digital image, so more breast cancers may be found. Also, digital mammography emits half the radiation of its analog counterpart.

As the new Breast Health Center was being conceived and designed, its staff worked closely with Breast Health Access for Women with Disabilities (BHAWD) to facilitate accessible health services for women with disabilities. “We’ve been looking at their blueprints to ensure that the exam rooms and exam tables, waiting area, and equipment are going to be accessible,” says Florita Toveg, BHAWD manager.

To match its state-of-the-art technology, the Breast Health Center boasts a team of radiologists that specializes in breast imaging. The literature shows that the more experienced a radiologist is in mammography, the better he or she can detect small cancers, which are easier to treat. Breast Health Center radiologists read thousands of mammograms annually, far exceeding the industry standard for U.S. certification. The center also has the latest ultrasound technology, as well as breast MRI, which facilitates minimally invasive, image-guided biopsies. For those who are diagnosed with cancer, specialized experts are at the ready.

Because the Breast Health Center is involved in research, patients have an opportunity to participate in national clinical trials. “We’re excited about being able to offer even more trials than the medical center could offer previously,” Dr. Bailey says.

Women will also be able to consult one of the center’s lymphedema specialists, who can provide advice on preventing this condition, which is sometimes caused by cancer or cancer treatment. In addition, the center’s High- Risk and Prevention Program will offer risk assessment, including genetic counseling for women who might have an inherited risk of developing breast cancer.

Serving the Whole Woman

Of course, diagnosis and treatment make up only half the story. The Breast Health Center also offers the COMPASS Program for peer support. Meanwhile, survivors can attend the semiannual Healthy Living After Breast Cancer seminar. Assistance is also available through a wide variety of medical center support groups and workshops.

This new Breast Health Center adds to Alta Bates Summit’s interconnecting web of medical expertise, state-of-the-art technology, and emotional support— including the Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Markstein Cancer Education Center, and radiation therapy at the Summit Campus—as it works to achieve its goal as the East Bay’s preeminent breast health facility. “I hope that the Carol Ann Read Breast Health Center will be a place where women will know that their well-being is our priority,” Dr. Bailey says. “We want to provide the best medical care, and that includes taking care of the whole person.”