Centegra Gavers Breast Center to Open in Crystal Lake
Centegra Health System and Gavers Community Cancer Foundation Join Forces
Crystal Lake (Vocus) April 9, 2010
Centegra Health System (http://centegra. org/) is proud to announce McHenry County’s only patient-centered program that will provide a coordinated, interdisciplinary, high-quality continuum of care for women’s breast care needs, thanks to a $500,000 donation from the Gavers Community Cancer Foundation.
The new Centegra Gavers Breast Center in Crystal Lake, currently the Crystal Lake Imaging Center, will serve as the hub for Centegra Health System’s Breast Health program. When it opens in the fall, it will provide McHenry County patients identified with abnormal screening mammograms a full continuum of follow-up diagnostics, required care and social and emotional support in a coordinated and centralized location. Centegra has several state-of-the art imaging facilities throughout McHenry County that provide convenient access to individual imaging needs. Women will be able to get the latest digital screening mammography close to home and in the event more detailed evaluation and treatment is needed, the Centegra Gavers Breast Center will be a dedicated breast care center they can rely on. Imaging services are also offered at Centegra Hospital-McHenry, Centegra Hospital-Woodstock and Centegra Health Center-Huntley.
“The Gavers Community Cancer Foundation has generously committed to donating substantial funds to make the Centegra Gavers Breast Center a reality,” said Centegra President and Chief Executive Officer Michael S. Eesley. “The Gavers Community Cancer Foundation has had a long-standing commitment to increasing cancer awareness and services at Centegra, and we are proud of this partnership that will propel Centegra to the forefront of breast care treatment in our region.”
“Centegra Health System is committed to the health of our growing community by providing women of all ages with comprehensive, state-of-the-art healthcare delivered in McHenry County, which serves their specific and unique physical, emotional, and spiritual needs,” he added.
''We are so happy to be able to contribute to this incredible community endeavor,'' said Steve Gavers, chairman of the Gavers Community Cancer Foundation. ''Our friends and family members live and work in McHenry County so it’s wonderful to know they can take advantage of this state-of-the-art facility right in their own backyards.''
Co-led by Medical Directors Aaron Schwaab, MD, and Gia Compagnoni, MD, the center will accommodate any surgeon who wants to participate in the Breast Center process.
“A dedicated Breast Center is an important venue in improving breast cancer patient outcomes,” said Schwaab. “By also working toward a three-year accreditation with the American College of Surgeons, Centegra will be in a stronger position to serve more patients, meet identified community needs and gain patient and physician recognition as an accredited provider of high quality breast care.”
Compagnoni said, “Access for specialized diagnostic and consultative services for McHenry County women facing breast cancer will be coordinated in a geographically-centralized location in Crystal Lake. Screening services will continue to be offered at various locations throughout the county, while the Breast Center will serve as a hub of the program as well as a face for coordinated breast health services in the community.”
Radiation therapy, infusion therapy and additional support services will continue to be offered at the Centegra Sage Cancer Center in McHenry.
In 2008, Centegra Health System submitted a Certificate of Need with the State of Illinois to build a dedicated women’s center in Woodstock. An economic downturn has put that project on hold, however, a coordinated and dedicated Breast Center was one of the women’s programs and services identified in that Certificate of Need application.
Centegra Health System and the Gavers Community Cancer Foundation also partner year-round to raise awareness of the importance of early cancer detection. The Get Checked! Program provides information about lifestyle changes and guidelines for routine screenings that can make a big difference in one’s life. The Gavers Cancer Resource Library is also featured in Centegra Sage Cancer Center in McHenry and offers touch-screen computers, a library inventory of books, journals and booklets. Information in the library is available in English and Spanish.
Centegra Health System is recognized as having one of a few cancer programs in the state to receive the Commission on Cancer (CoC) Outstanding Achievement Award from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. Additionally, with state-of-the-art equipment and practices, the Centegra Sage Cancer Center is staffed with a team of highly-specialized oncology professionals. Patients needing additional follow-up may be referred to Centegra’s conveniently located medical imaging departments for various state-of-the-art diagnostic breast exams including ultrasounds, breast MRIs and PET/CTs.
Centegra Health System is committed to meeting the healthcare needs of the residents of greater McHenry County and to making services available in multiple and convenient locations, including hospitals in McHenry and Woodstock, Immediate and Primary Care Centers, Centegra Sage Cancer Center, Health Bridge Fitness Centers and more. As the region’s leading healthcare provider, Centegra Health System continues to bring the latest treatments and technology, along with the skills of nearly 4,000 medical professionals, to meet the needs of the growing McHenry County community. For more information on Centegra Health System visit centegra. org or call 877-CENTEGRA (877-236-8347). To learn how you can contribute to the new Centegra Gavers Breast Center, contact the Centegra Health System Foundation at (815) 788-5870.
###
