Women’s Wellness at St. Anthony’s
Breast Care Services
St. Anthony's wants to make every patient's experience the very best possible. To provide increased care, comfort, and quality to mammography patients, the hospital has formed an Advisory Council lead by Dr. Ruben Boyajian, Medical Director of Women's Wellness and Breast Care Services at St. Anthony's. This multidisciplinary committee includes members of the medical staff, administration, Women's Wellness Nurse Navigator and a breast cancer survivor.
The Advisory Council is focused on improving services and scheduling, increasing cancer and mammography education and reducing the time from an abnormal mammogram to the diagnosis of breast cancer to less than seven days. And if diagnosed, a nurse navigator will provide one-on-one assistance in coordination of treatment; along with providing emotional support and education to help patients from treatment through recovery. The Advisory Council meets quarterly to review and make recommendations on the programs ability to meet the community's needs.
Look Good...Feel Better Program
This is a free program offered on a quarterly basis at St. Anthony's Women's Wellness Center. It teaches beauty techniques to women who are actively undergoing cancer treatments.
Click here for more information on session dates coming up at St. Anthony's.
For more information on the Look Good...Feel Better program, click on the following links: www.cancer.org or www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org.
Click here for more information on the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program
Mammography
Women age 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year. St. Anthony’s offers digital mammograms at our Women's Wellness Center in Effingham. A trained female technician will perform the mammogram screening allowing for patient privacy and comfort. Screening mammograms are also available in Newton.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound of the breast is a tool used for diagnosis and confirmation of an abnormal mammogram. If an abnormality is detected on a mammogram and the Radiologist recommends an ultrasound, it can be done the very same day, if this fits the woman's schedule.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
MRIs show an increase or abnormal blood flow in the breast, which is a sign of early breast cancer. In concert with mammograms, MRIs are effective in detecting cancer in women with dense, non-fatty breasts.
Stereotactic Breast Biopsy
Stereotactic Breast Biopsy offers women a faster and less painful alternative to surgery, with fewer complications and less recovery time. This procedure is performed to collect a sample of cells or tissue from the suspicious area for examination under a microscope by a pathologist.