Washington Health System

" We en ga ge w ith our pat ient s . Since there are only a few of u s , our pat ient s aren' t wonder in g who they w ill see or what to ex pect . It' s more of a pr imar y care ex per ience , where t r u st and t ime are mut ually invested . Other radiolog y team s , however, may staf f up to 3 0 radiolog ist s , leav in g pat ient s w ithout that sen se of p ersonali zat ion they' re lo ok in g for." – GIOVANNA M. ARACRI, DO, FELLOWSHIP-TRAINED WOMEN'S IMAGER, SECTION CHIEF OF WOMEN'S IMAGING Prevention WHEN IT COMES TIME FOR YOUR ANNUAL MAMMOGRAM, PARTNER WITH A BREAST CARE EXPERT. 40 Age women should begin yearly mammograms 2nd Breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Numerous studies prove that early detection is a vital component in the successful treatment of breast cancer, and yearly breast screenings are essential to your health starting at age 40. At the Washington Health System Women's Center, a technologist performs mammograms and a radiologist who is fellowship trained in women's imaging reads them. At the time of the mammogram, the radiologist may feel that more imaging is necessary to expand on a possible abnormality, and a further diagnostic workup as well as a biopsy may be ordered. e center's excellent staff will help you every step of the way, from arrival to departure from the center. If it is necessary to have a biopsy, our breast navigator will help develop a plan that is unique to each individual, so when a patient leaves the center, there are no questions about what is going to happen next. "When managing your breast health, you want someone who has advanced training in breast anatomy," according to Michelle McIlvaine, RT(R)(M), Manager of Mammography and Ultrasound at the WHS Women's Center. "Fellowship-trained women's imagers focus exclusively on reading breast images, making them experts in recognizing subtle conditions affecting the breasts," McIlvaine says. "From there, they recommend the best course of action." A THOROUGH VIEW At the WHS Women's Center, we are fortunate enough to be able to provide 2-D and 3-D mammography (tomosynthesis). ree-dimensional imaging offers radiologists many more views of the breast, compared to 2-D imaging, which offers only four," says fellowship-trained Women's Imager Giovanna M. Aracri, DO, Section Chief of Women's Imaging at the WHS Women's Center. "is technology reduces callback rates and the need for additional imaging," Dr. Aracri says. "is new diagnostic tool improves the early detection of breast cancer, and 3-D imaging is an important part of the screening process for women, regardless of the density of their breast tissue." Dr. Aracri, along with her fellowship-trained partner, Dina Novitskaya, MD, uses 3-D imaging technology. Together, they serve a community of empowered women who prioritize self-care. A n Ou nce of GIOVANNA M. ARACRI, DO BY THE NUMBERS 250 Number of different views of the breast offered by 3-D mammography A P P R OX I M AT E LY » TO SCHEDULE YOUR ANNUAL MAMMOGRAM, CALL (724) 223-3313 OR VISIT WHS.ORG/ WOMENSCENTER. connections | FALL 2017 4 whs.org

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