The development of a community breast center

Maximum capacity for mammography services had been reached at the Kaweah Delta Health Care District, a 504-bed, multicampus hospital district in Visalia, Calif., so the community supported the idea of better and easier access to cancer care. Kaweah Delta Foundation, the hospital's development arm, helped raise funds for a new community breast center after hearing from local women that they disliked traveling to Los Angeles or San Francisco for state-of-the-art technology in diagnosis. They also requested better education and quicker exam results. The new Center was the result of a collaborative effort between imaging services and the cancer care program at Kaweah Delta. A nearby hospital, with more space for parking and room to offer an education program, became the site of the new Center. New equipment that met MQSA guidelines was purchased. An architectural firm designed a layout for patient comfort and privacy and efficient throughput for high volume work. The purchase of a second mammography unit allowed the Center to offer same-day and next-day appointments, which increased both physician and patient satisfaction. Consultation services with a radiologist are now offered. An education program that includes group support meetings and referrals to an oncology clinical nurse specialist are also offered. A new mobile mammography unit, housed at a newly acquired hospital 13 miles away, serves the needs of women in the two-county rural area who have no transportation. With careful planning and collaboration, the volume of mammography services has doubled in a year. Customer service ratings have soared.