AMC's Breast Care Center Combines Experience, Technology

SARANAC LAKE - The Countess Alicia Spaulding-Paolozzi Breast Imaging Center at Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake combines the confidence of the latest and most accurate technology with the experience of a highly-trained team of medical professionals.

The center at AMC in Saranac Lake is the first of its kind in the Tri Lakes to provide same day results and features a specialized breast care coordinator to assist and guide patients through the treatment process.

Over the course of the past several months, AMC has augmented its imaging services in Saranac Lake, in large part due to a $500,000 grant from the Countess Alicia Spaulding-Paolozzi Foundation.  This resulted in the addition of full-field digital mammography equipment, Breast Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI), with additional capacity for breast ultrasound.  BSGI is a new technology for detecting breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue, and who have already had a mammogram or breast ultrasound. 

AMC has also supplemented the Countess Alicia Spaulding-Paolozzi Breast Imaging Center with a breast care coordinator.  Bridget Ellsworth, Family Nurse Practitioner, is on staff full time to comfort, counsel, coordinate, and arrange referrals when a woman is informed of a mammogram requiring further study.  Bridget received her undergraduate degree, and later her Master's Degree in Science/Nursing from Russell Sage College.  She adds a reassuring human touch when woman may have many questions and concerns.

"Cancer is a scary diagnosis for any person," said Cyndee McGuire, Chief Operating Officer for AMC.  "Bridget has the medical expertise and knowledge to coordinate the many services that are not only available for the patient at AMC but within the broader community as well.  We want to take as much of the worry out of the process so a woman can focus her energy on getting healthy."

In addition to the Breast Care Coordinator, AMC's Breast Care Center has on staff two highly trained, Board Certified radiologists and a surgeon: Richard Moccia, M.D., Howard Novick, M.D., and Mary Woodhouse, M.D.  Dr. Moccia has been on the Medical Staff of AMC since 1993 and is the Medical Director of the Medical Imaging Department.  Dr. Novick, Medical Director of Breast Imaging, has been on the AMC Medical Staff since 2001, and is Fellowship Trained in Breast Imaging, Body Imaging/MRI, and Vascular and Interventional Radiology.  Dr. Woodhouse, Medical Director of the Comprehensive Breast Program, has been on the AMC Medical Staff since 1993.  She is board certified in General Surgery, a member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons and has a special interest in breast disease. 

Completing the team at the breast care center are the mammography and ultrasound technologists.  The practice of mammography requires an additional training level for a licensed radiologic technologist, followed by a national certification exam.  Preparation for this exam takes an extraordinary amount of time with tutelage from trained mammography technologists and physicians.  Over 100 mammograms must be completed and evaluated prior to the technologist being authorized to take the examination. Other training involving procedures such as stereotactic biopsies, fine needle aspirations, quality control, and quality assurance must also be completed.

The Countess Alicia Spaulding-Paolozzi Breast Imaging Center combines the latest technology with a skilled and caring team to provide women with comprehensive care in a warm and supportive environment.

For more information about the programs and services offered at AMC, log onto www.amcCares.org.

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