{"id":3824,"date":"2015-09-15T10:59:34","date_gmt":"2015-09-15T14:59:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/huntsville.dopperonline.ca\/?p=3824"},"modified":"2015-09-15T14:59:50","modified_gmt":"2015-09-15T18:59:50","slug":"ontario-breast-screening-program-celebrated-at-huntsville-hospital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/ontario-breast-screening-program-celebrated-at-huntsville-hospital\/","title":{"rendered":"Ontario Breast Screening Program celebrated at Huntsville Hospital"},"content":{"rendered":"

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On Monday, September 14, Huntsville Hospital staff, volunteers and community members gathered in the Garden of Honour at Huntsville District Memorial Hospital to celebrate the hospital\u2019s designation as a screening site for the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The hospital received the designation in the spring after a year-long accreditation and application process. \u201cWe were first required to receive accreditation from the Canadian Association of Radiology\u2019s Mammography Accreditation Program,\u201d explained Senior Mammography Technologist, Brenda Allen, who has been with the hospital\u2019s mammography unit since its inception in 1988. Accreditation included a review of staff qualifications, equipment performance, quality control and quality assurance programs, and image quality. They then applied to the Ontario Breast Screening Program and were accepted into the program on the first try.<\/p>\n

It speaks to the quality of the care that was already available in Huntsville, said Noreen Chan, Manager of Diagnostic Imaging and Cardio-Respiratory for Muskoka Algonquin Health Care (MAHC). \u201cNot every hospital passes (on their first application). Women in Huntsville will receive the same quality care they are accustomed to. It\u2019s just now easier to access.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Brenda<\/a>

Brenda Allen, Senior Mammography Technologist, demonstrates use of the digital mammography machine at Huntsville Hospital<\/p><\/div>\n

The OBSP is available without a referral to women between the ages of 50 and 74 who are at average risk for breast cancer. \u201cAt age 50, women will receive a letter inviting them to participate in the program,\u201d said Melissa Mei, Lead, Prevention and Screening for Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Program. \u201cAfter her screening, she will receive results via mail. A copy will also be sent to their family doctor or nurse practitioner.\u201d If there is an abnormal finding, the woman will receive a call quickly and follow-up referrals will be scheduled.<\/p>\n

Once a woman is in the program, she will receive a letter every two years reminding her to return for screening. Appointments can be made at any OBSP site \u2013 a cottager from Toronto could make an appointment in Huntsville while here during the summer months, for example. And women without a family physician or nurse practitioner can self-refer to the program.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe file transfers with the patient to any OBSP site, making it a seamless process,\u201d said Mei. \u201cAnd there is a set time for each file to be closed which ensures no woman will fall through the cracks, even if she doesn\u2019t have a family physician. If there is a woman in the program who receives an abnormal finding but who doesn\u2019t have a family doctor, Cancer Care Ontario will assign someone to guide her through the steps needed next.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is a separate high-risk program for women with a greater than 25 per cent life-time risk of breast cancer. They may have the BRCA gene, a family history of breast cancer, or other indicators that would increase their risk. Women who are considered high risk or those who fall outside of the recommended 50- to 74-year-old range but still wish to be screened should speak with their family doctor.<\/p>\n

\"Brenda<\/a>

Brenda Allen, Senior Mammography Technologist, explains the image produced by a digital mammogram at Huntsville Hospital<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201c(Screening) does involve radiation so you don\u2019t want to do it if it\u2019s not proven that you need it,\u201d said Chan. \u201cFor women in the recommended age range, it\u2019s proven to help detect breast cancer. Older women who still want to have a mammogram can, they just fall outside of the program and would require a referral from their doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

MAHC CEO Natalie Bubela is delighted that the program has arrived in Huntsville. \u201cIt helps us to continue treating our community to the best of our ability. And it speaks to the generosity of our community that we have this state-of-the-art equipment available.\u201d Huntsville\u2019s mammography unit has had a digital mammography machine since 2009 \u2013 one of the first in Ontario to install one. The mammography unit now screens up to eighteen women per day.<\/p>\n

One in nine Canadian women can expect to be diagnosed with breast cancer. In Ontario in 2014, it was estimated that 9,500 women would be diagnosed with the disease and 1,950 would die from it. While it can\u2019t be prevented, early detection of breast cancer increases positive outcomes. Most women diagnosed with the disease have no family history of breast cancer, making screening that much more important.<\/p>\n

There are several annual fundraising events that support the mammography unit, including the upcoming Bling Your Bra golf tournament at Diamond in the Ruff on September 23. Donations to the unit can also be made via the Huntsville Hospital Foundation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\t\t