The Breast Center Will Offer Cutting Edge Technologies, Convenient Care
BALTIMORE— Bringing together the region’s top breast cancer experts under one roof, MedStar Health Cancer Network opened the Breast Center at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital on Oct. 29.
The center, located in the Smyth building, will unite a multidisciplinary team of oncologists, breast surgeons, radiation oncologists, reconstruction surgeons, radiologists and genetic counselor. It is the first center to be opened at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital dedicated solely to breast care.
MedStar Good Samaritan has cutting edge technologies and services including genetic counseling; an infusion center; onsite CT, MRI, ultrasound, mammography, and breast biopsy; clinical trials and radiation therapy. It has the Varian Halcyon system, a new cancer technology that advances radiotherapy treatment. Surgical services include intraoperative radiation therapy, localization with Savi Scout and oncoplastic and reconstructive surgery.
The center will be led by Maen Farha, MD, a breast surgeon who has been diagnosing and managing malignant and benign breast disease for more than 20 years, and Dr. Michelle Townsend-Watts, MD, chief of breast imaging for MedStar Union Memorial and MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital.
Dr. Farha said the center will follow the practice’s commitment to treating the disease holistically.
“After 50 years of service to the community, our comprehensive Breast Center opening and the Cancer Center few months ago are a demonstration of the commitment to serve the Good Sam community and the Baltimore area for another 50 years,” Dr. Farha said. “Our comprehensive Breast Center is committed to engaging the patients and their families as members of the patient’s care team. Our multi-disciplinary breast cancer clinic brings the patients and their families in an authentic face-to-face discussion and development of individualized treatment plan. Our team has been refining that very successful model for six years with outstanding patient feedback.”
The breast care team, partnering with MedStar Health Research Institute and Avident Health, also won a $475,000 grant from Genentech to test the use of mHealth (mobile health) interventions to promote teamwork and patient engagement in breast cancer care. Genentech is a company known for its innovation in breast cancer care.
Genentech is developing the mobile app for wide release with feedback from MedStar Health. Patients can use it to view detailed information about their case, get updates on appointments, and more. Doctors and other medical experts can use it to collaborate on a patient's care plan. It supplements, but doesn’t replace, the in person meetings doctors and oncology experts have with the patient about how their care is being tailored.
The Breast Center will complement other recent enhancements to cancer services offered at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. In April, the 7,800-square-foot MedStar Franklin Square Cancer Center at Loch Raven Campus opened featuring a state-of-the-art infusion center, a pharmacy and more.
Breast Services at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
5601 Loch Raven Blvd, Smyth Building, Suite 403, Baltimore, MD
For more information, call (443) 444-4673
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About the MedStar Health Cancer Network
The MedStar Health Cancer Network, comprised of MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, MedStar Good Samaritan, MedStar Harbor, and MedStar Union Memorial hospitals, represents a true collaboration in oncology care. Our dedicated team of surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, oncology nurses, and cancer support staff collaborate to effectively and efficiently meet the needs of cancer patients and their families throughout the greater Baltimore region. Our goal is to provide evidenced-based, quality care with a focus on service and easy access.
The Cancer Network has recently been granted Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation from the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS). The Cancer Network is committed to delivering the highest standards of care—this national endorsement further validates the quality of care its experts provide to cancer patients in the Baltimore community.
Our oncology experts provide all the cancer treatments you expect, plus some you might not. Treatments are always supported or driven by the latest research, including such sophisticated offerings as CyberKnife radiation, leading clinical trials, targeted therapies, and minimally invasive surgery—endoscopic, laparoscopic, or robotic-assisted. Our physicians, including a dedicated orthopaedic oncology team, are specially trained to treat complex cancers. Our seamless oncology care is backed by electronic medical records and top support services like genetic counseling and cancer rehab.