MDNews - Central New York

system of care that makes things flow more easily," Dr. Schu says. For example, Central New York Surgical Physicians can see a patient, send her downstairs for a same-day biopsy, and get the results in less than two days — a significantly shortened time frame for testing and diagnosis. Since the addition of the new tomosynthesis table, the vast majority of the surgeons' biopsy referrals can be accommodated without leaving the Crouse campus. From its technologica l upgrades to the redesign of the breast center, Crouse Hospital has always been responsive to the surgeons' input. The establishment of Brea st Ca re Partners six years ago turned indepen- dent entities that worked well together into a single, integrated system in which information is automatically shared and communication is constant. Crouse Hospital has facilitated com- munication by serving as a physical and virtual meeting place for the multidisci- plinary team. "We meet with the oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists and radiologists on the Crouse campus to discuss patients every other week," Dr. Sartori says. "That's a really valuable format for us." A s t he f irst specia lists to receive patients into care, surgeons need that sort of integrated structure in place at the outset, especially when they're dealing with complex cases. "Before we had this coordinated system of care, we did a good job with patients, " From the time you decide you need a biopsy to the time the patient gets their first result, we provide a very efficient system." — JAMES SARTORI, MD, MANAGING PARTNER AT CENTRAL NEW YORK SURGICAL PHYSICIANS " Crouse Hospital and Dr. Montgomery were never afraid to take on new technology or learn new techniques, and believe me, there's a learning curve to all these things. It takes some guts to say, 'We're going to do this for our patients.'" — WILLIAM SCHU, MD, MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF BREAST CARE PARTNERS AND GENERAL SURGEON WITH CENTRAL NEW YORK SURGICAL PHYSICIANS but when we get together and review all these cases, other team members learn a lot about our surgery considerations, we learn a lot from the other experts in the room and everyone benefits," Dr. Schu says. "We all feel that our level of care and breast cancer expertise have continued to increase exponentially over time." NAVIGATING THE SYSTEM Katie Tindall, NP, exemplifies the long- standing professional relationships that built Breast Care Partners and the ben- efits of its coordinated approach to patient care. After working for several years as a registered nurse with Hematolog y- Oncolog y Associates of CN Y, Tinda ll joined Breast Care Partners at its incep- tion and is now a nurse practitioner at Central New York Surgical Physicians, where she continues to provide care to patients at Breast Care Partners. As a result, she is uniquely positioned as a liai- son between the two practices, patients and specialists. "I can get information to patients much quicker if the surgeon can't talk to them directly," Tindall says. 0 8❱❱❱❱❱ C O V E R F E A T U R E

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