Breast & GYN Cancer Pavilion provides more than 22,000 patient experiences in first year
A year ago today, women facing breast or gynecologic cancer gained powerful new resources for enhanced care when the Breast & GYN Cancer Pavilion opened on the Woman’s Hospital campus. The Pavilion is a partnership between Woman’s Hospital and Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center that blends the recognized expertise of each organization in caring for women with cancer to deliver the most advanced, coordinated care for patients throughout the region. In its first year, the Pavilion delivered approximately 22,000 early detection screenings, surgeries, treatments, survivorship services and other programs to women residing throughout 36 Louisiana parishes and Mississippi counties.
This past year, thousands of women have received cancer care at the Pavilion. One of them, Lori Stanley, traveled from Alexandria, Louisiana for treatment at the Breast & GYN Cancer Pavilion after her local gynecologist referred her to the facility. The mother of two adult sons noticed a suspicious mass within her breast and her physician immediately sent her to Baton Rouge for follow-up testing.
“My gynecologist said that the Pavilion was the best place to go for diagnosis and treatment. She explained that she knew the technology and expertise was extraordinary and she was right, especially because I was diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma, a cancer that is difficult to detect,” said Stanley. “From the moment I was referred there, things moved quickly and I felt like I was exactly where I needed to be. It all happened so efficiently and effectively that looking back, I thank God that I didn’t have to worry about navigating a system. Everything was done for me, so I could focus on getting better.”
After surgeries to remove the mass and reconstruct her breast, a medical oncologist determined that Stanley did not need chemotherapy nor radiation. Instead, she began a less intensive treatment with fewer side effects, an endocrine therapy regimen, and is now in remission.
“There is no other facility in the country like the Pavilion,” said Robert Burgess, president and CEO, Woman’s Hospital. “It’s opened a door for women seeking focused, collaborative care, and it has offered patients near and far the promise of dedicated breast and gynecologic cancer care. We’ve cared for even more patients than predicted, and are now working toward rolling out more resources and initiatives to serve even more women throughout the Gulf South.”
Upcoming additions include new treatment interventions, physician specialists, advanced clinical trials and added support services that will provide patients with an even higher level of breast and gynecologic cancer care.
“The feedback we’re receiving from patients and referring physicians is that the Pavilion is a special place that allows women to stay closer to home for expert, compassionate cancer care,” said Todd Stevens, president and chief executive officer, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. “The Pavilion’s team of physicians, nurses and staff members consider it a privilege to care for women fighting these unique cancers. The Pavilion’s patient-centered approach and combined resources ensure that women have access to the highest level of breast and gynecologic cancer care in the region – from diagnosis to survivorship.”
Key statistics from the Pavilion’s first year include nearly 22,000 interactions, experiences or activities benefitting patient care. These include:
- 2,400+ surgeries
- 5,066 radiation treatments
- 2,987 infusion treatments
- 1,384 patients screened for clinical trials, 182 enrolled and 18 trials offered
- 58 formal multidisciplinary physician-driven sessions
- 340+ survivorship program and support group participants
- 6,274 patient navigation interactions
- 1,042 dietitian visits
- 36 parishes represented
- 46 calls to CancerAnswer call line
- 200+ cancer physical therapy rehabilitation patients
- 2,344 women screened for breast cancer through Woman’s and Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center’s mobile outreach program; 646 women received an abnormal finding after outreach screenings and were assisted by a patient navigator; and 14 individuals were diagnosed with cancer
“The expertise, compassion and collaboration at the Pavilion are its most powerful assets in fighting cancer,” said K. Scott Wester, president and CEO of Our Lady of the Lake. “This partnership is unique and it makes sense from every standpoint to continue combining our vast resources so patients will receive the absolute best, most comprehensive care at every level.”
For more information on Woman’s and the Cancer Center’s breast and GYN partnership, including the Breast & GYN Cancer Pavilion, please visit breastandgyncancer.org.
About Woman’s Hospital
Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is one of the first specialty hospitals for women and infants. Since opening in 1968, it has welcomed more than 350,000 babies, making it one of the largest delivery services in the country and the largest in Louisiana. Additionally, Woman's operates the highest-level neonatal intensive care unit in the state and cares for infants who are extremely premature, are critically ill or require surgical intervention. The hospital is also recognized for its expertise in mammography as well as breast and gynecologic cancer care. As a private, nonprofit organization, all funds are reinvested into the hospital to continue Woman's mission to improve the health of women and infants through the latest technology, a highly qualified staff and critical community programs and services. For more information, visit www.womans.org.
About Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center
As a regional destination for cancer care, Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center offers the most advance technology and services provided by a dedicated team of nationally-recognized oncology experts. The Cancer Center provides best-practice, comprehensive care at every stage of the cancer journey, including disease site-specific multidisciplinary care teams, a robust clinical research program, extensive supportive care services and is the only facility in the Gulf South with the revolutionary Leksell Gamma Knife®Icon™. The American College of Surgeons has named the Cancer Center a recipient of its prestigious Outstanding Achievement Award for three consecutive survey cycles. As a nonprofit organization, donor generosity is essential to sustaining the mission of improving survivorship and lessening the burden of cancer for so many throughout Southeast Louisiana and beyond. For more information on the Cancer Center, and how you can become involved, please visit marybirdlake.org.