GAINESVILLE, Ga. – There is nothing worse than waiting on a precise health diagnosis, especially after an initial scan raises a red flag.
Thanks to the latest innovation from Longstreet Clinic, an organization founded on a vision of leading-edge, patient-centered healthcare, women across north Georgia no longer need wait and worry.
That is because Longstreet Clinic recently unveiled its re-imagined state-of-the-art Breast Center program in Gainesville, a multidisciplinary program dedicated to providing the most precise diagnoses and treatment plans for all breast health conditions – all with an eye on streamlining the process so that patients can avoid the stress of long wait times and the hassles of coordinating multiple care providers. Though the multi-specialty practice has been providing care at its Breast Center for more than a decade, physician leaders recently reexamined the practice and studied ways they could offer a truly comprehensive patient experience close to home.
Led by Priscilla R. Strom, M.D., FACS, the first female surgery graduate at Emory; Brad Auffarth, M.D. FACS, Breast Health program director for Northeast Georgia Health System; and experienced general surgeon Geary Bush, M.D., FACS, Longstreet Clinic’s Breast Center is centered on providing the absolute best care
“What we have been able to put together is an incredible step forward for women’s healthcare,” Dr. Strom said. “We offer services on par with any breast clinic anywhere in the nation. And it’s right here in Gainesville, so that patients do not have to drive however many miles to Atlanta and deal with the delays they might otherwise find, all the while sitting and waiting and wondering what’s happening inside them. We designed the Breast Center so that patients will receive the most accurate diagnosis available as quick as possible and then – if something is wrong – learn the best treatment methods available, all in one place.”
If initial diagnostics reviewed by board-certified radiologists reveal a concern, the Breast Center ensures that the patient receives further diagnostics and guidance from its team of experienced, specialized providers as soon as possible – including same-day appointments if appropriate.
The commitment to innovations in leading edge technology as well as best practices includes the use of 3D technology such as Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS) and Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT, also known as 3D Mammography) as well as in-office, surgeon-guided stereotactic and ultrasound breast biopsies.
It also includes access to a patient risk assessment and genetic counseling and testing to equip providers with additional data to help determine a patient’s risk level based on family history as well as overall breast health and aid in their diagnostic and preventative care planning.
“This technology offers us the most detailed and reliable scans available today,” Dr. Auffarth said. “What this means for patients is that we have the latest diagnostic tools at our fingertips to get the exact level of clarity we need, and we can do it all in one visit if needed. This allows us to make a hyper-accurate diagnosis and begin your treatment plan based on those results.”
If scan and biopsy results indicate a problem, Longstreet Clinic surgeons and oncologists can consult to deliver a prompt, accurate diagnosis and begin formulating a treatment plan. In fact, to help expedite that process, Longstreet Clinic has embedded Lisa Logue, FNP-C, ACON, who has extensive expertise in oncology and treatment planning, into the Breast Center program. She serves as an immediate resource to provide personalized care planning with patients should results show an abnormality that might need further diagnostics like a biopsy or further follow up and help those patients quickly receive that next step in their care.
It is just the latest development in care planning and treatment options from Longstreet Clinic, which is constantly striving to evolve the healthcare landscape in north Georgia.
“The patient is at the heart of everything we do, and that’s why we are so excited to be able to offer this,” Logue said. “There are no better and more experienced surgeons and imaging specialists than what we have here, and what the breast center does is to bring them together to make sure we can give women the best care as quickly as possible.”
It’s a level of care she understands firsthand. “As a woman, I know there is nothing more worrying than not knowing what might be happening with your body,” she added. “All the experts here at the Breast Center are working together to make sure our patients know what is going on – without having to wait days or even weeks for an accurate diagnosis and plan of treatment.”
The Longstreet Clinic Breast Center is located at 705 Jesse Jewell Pkwy SE, Suite 295, Gainesville, GA 30501. To schedule an appointment, call 770-533-4700 today.
