Plymouth Campus Receives $50,000 from Ounce of Prevention

John Oliver III of Oliver Ford and Ounce of Prevention; Mickey Hoffer, Mammogram Tech; Joan Hunt, RN; Timothy Smith, Jen Houin of Ounce of Prevention; and Jessica Oliver of Ounce of Prevention

Breast cancer treatment at our Plymouth Campus was enhanced even more with a $50,000 donation from Marshall County’s Ounce of Prevention Foundation.

Ounce of Prevention has provided funds to the Plymouth Cancer Institute to help in the treatment of the disease as well as raising awareness of breast cancer and its effects in the community.

“We’ve been able to get some professional training we wouldn’t have had a chance to get otherwise,” said Mickey Hoffer, Mammography Tech. “All of us have been doing this for a long time but it really helps to get new ideas and information on how to position everything and get better mammograms. So much of it has to do with positioning.”

With donations like this, the Cancer Institute has been able to purchase a special use mammography chair that enables radiographers to position patients better and more comfortably. The Institute has also purchased supplies and educational tools that would not otherwise be available.

“We are very grateful for the Ounce of Prevention Foundation and their constant support of our cancer treatment initiatives,” said Lori Price, President of SJRMC Plymouth. “This is another great example of two local institutions working together for the good of our communities.”

Cancer Program Achieves Accreditations

Excellence in care is not the work of one physician, one nurse or one procedure. It is the end result of a multi-disciplinary team working with the right resources, towards a common goal.

The Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center Cancer Program allows for efficient communication between medical specialties in order to make the best decisions for each individual patient. Here, our patients are part of the team as we work through the treatment and care process with them.

Most recently, SJRMC achieved two accreditations that differentiate our Oncology program: 

• Commission on Cancer 3-year Accreditation Award with Commendation 
• National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC)

Both of these distinctions are from the American College of Surgeons, and we are extremely proud of our Physician and Clinical leadership who together delivered these outstanding results.

SJRMC Oncology Staff

The standards include proficiency in the areas of: center leadership, clinical management, research, community outreach, professional education, and quality improvement.  A breast center that achieves NAPBC accreditation has demonstrated a firm commitment to offer its patients every significant advantage in their battle against breast disease.

We are proud of our accomplishments, and as 2011 approaches we strive to continue to advance patient care services.

Thank you to our expert Physicians, Medical and Nursing staff, and supportive services that work so hard to deliver quality care and the best possible outcomes.

Real Stories: Making your health a priority, not a hassle

Too important to put off: Making your health a priority, not a hassle
By May Lee Johnson
South Bend Tribune, March 25, 2010

Last week my soul cried.

I don’t know why I had avoided being checked for breast cancer for so long.

Maybe I was afraid and didn’t want to know. But whenever my doctor asked about a mammogram, I had an excuse.

Finally, she stopped listening. If I didn’t get one, she would drop me as a patient.

Reluctantly, I made an appointment with the mobile unit from Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center that visits the parking lot of the Sister Maura Brannick CSC Health Center on Chapin Street.

The day of my appointment, I was late. I’ll come back some other day, I told the nurse.

But she told me to stay. When she finished with another patient, she would be ready for me. It would only take a minute.

She was right. The procedure was simple and quick. After it was over, I breathed a sigh of relief.

I didn’t realize I was beginning a couple of the toughest weeks of my life.

A day or so after the mammogram, I got a message that they needed more images. They had found something. I was told to make an appointment to get a bilateral mammogram at the hospital.

Nothing could prepare me for sitting in that room, waiting to go in for the exam. I have never been in a room where no one would speak. Women flipped through their books, but no one was reading a word.

I just wanted to get it over with. Finally, I went in. A technician explained everything she was doing. I didn’t care about that. I just wanted to know if she was finding anything.

She told me there were a few areas the radiologist wanted to magnify. She advised me to go back into the waiting room while they looked at the pictures, but don’t get dressed yet.

She was right. I had to go back for more X-rays. By now, my stress level was way out of whack.

The good thing was that they read the pictures right there. That’s when I found out I would need a biopsy - but it would be about a week before I could get one.

That gave me more time to worry. Am I going to die? Who would take care of Annie? What is dying like?

Things got so bad that one day, as I sat worrying about everyone around me, Annie looked at a friend and said, “Who is this woman and what did she do with my Mama?”

I was caught in a storm that followed me wherever I went. I couldn’t shake the thoughts of cancer. I wasn’t sure I had the inner strength to fight cancer.

Finally, Friday came and I went in for the biopsy results. A friend, Sister Sue, was there waiting for me. Her calm and reassuring manner helped me survive the agonizing week.

Right away, my nurse told me the good news: The growth in my breast was benign.

I had been holding back tears, my heart racing. But at that moment, a waterfall streamed down my face.

I was too stunned to say anything. But as I composed myself, I thought of two things.

One, my heart goes out to all those who didn’t get the same good news that I did.

Secondly, I made a promise: I need to love myself as much as I have loved others. I won’t delay my next exam.

For years I had avoided the mammogram because of what I might learn. But good news or bad, we owe ourselves the truth.

Even if you’re afraid, please check it out. It could save your life.

You can listen to May Lee Johnson live at 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays on WUBS, 89.7-FM.