Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1482519
MARY ELLEN GRECO, MD, FACS, and Kristen McNeil, PA-C joined Oneida Health in February after working together for the last five years in Syracuse. Their arrival launched the new Oneida Health Breast Care service line. Both from Central New York, the pair says it was a natural next step for them to bring high-quality, comprehensive breast care to a community setting. Together, Dr. Greco and McNeil provide the complete spectrum of breast care including abnormal imaging findings, k now n d ia g noses of brea s t ca ncer, screening for patients with a strong family history of breast cancer, patient-related complaints of a self-detected lump, in- office ultrasound-guided biopsies, surgery, genetic counseling and testing, and benign conditions of the breast. BUILT ON EXPERIENCE A graduate of the SUNY Science Center at Syracuse and fellowship trained in trauma and surgical critical care at the University of Maryland Medical System, Dr. Greco brings over 20 years of medical and surgical breast care experience to Oneida Health. She says at the time she finished her surgical training, there was no breast care specialty. "As the only fema le surgeon in the practice, I ended up seeing our breast patients because the patients felt more comfortable with me," she says. The end result was a career with a sole focus on breast care which Dr. Greco calls both exciting and rewarding. McNei l spent t wo yea rs in urgent care and 12 years in family medicine before working with Dr. Greco at her Syracuse office. "Breast ca re is a subspecia lty that beca me ver y impor ta nt to me," says McNeil, having lost a close friend to metastatic breast cancer at 31 years old. "It's my goal to provide patients the piece that [my friend] felt was missing from her care." PERSONALIZED CARE Patients from Oneida and Rome were b ei n g refer re d t o t hei r pr a c t ic e i n Syracuse, so it made sense to bring care closer to them. "Here at Oneida, we have all of the tech- nology and pieces of the puzzle to provide the highest quality of personalized care to our patients," Dr. Greco says. Plus, many patients prefer going to Oneida because of the convenience or proximity to family members who can provide support. Continuity of care is the key, says Dr. Greco, noting that she has had some patients for 20 years no matter where her practice is located. Other members of Dr. Greco's staff have been with her for 10 years or more and that consistency is important for patients. "A lot of what we do isn't surgical — it's BREAST SURGEON MARY ELLEN GRECO, MD, FACS, AND PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT KRISTEN MCNEIL BRING EXPERTISE AND A PERSONAL TOUCH TO ONEIDA HEALTH'S NEW BREAST CARE SUBSPECIALT Y. BY BECCA TAURISANO Comprehensive Breast Care at Oneida Health MARY ELLEN GRECO, MD, FACS 1 8