Wellstar Community Outreach

When a screening mammogram result is flagged for follow-up care, it can be stressful and scary for patients and their loved ones. The Wellstar Comprehensive Breast Health Program supports patients with a full team of experts dedicated to navigating what can otherwise be an overwhelming process.

This concierge service helps patients who have received abnormal screening mammogram results, along with their support systems, make informed breast health decisions. Our dedicated team of schedulers, nurse navigators and breast care specialists will stay by your side through the entire diagnostic process, offering personalized counsel at every step—and it’s complimentary for anyone who has their screening mammogram performed at a Wellstar imaging center.

Our care team is invested in patients’ physical and emotional well-being and provides personalized guidance as patients follow up on their mammograms and set next steps. At Wellstar, no patient has to walk through their health journey alone.

This integrative program, available at no additional cost to patients who have received abnormal screening mammogram results, offers consultation services via secure Wellstar MyChart messaging, email and telephone calls, so you can get care anywhere.

Take the first step with screenings

Regular mammograms are essential to helping in the early detection of breast cancer.

“If you’re at average risk of developing breast cancer, you should start annual mammograms at age 40,” said Wellstar Chief of Women’s Health Dr. Paula Greaves. “However, if you have a family history of breast cancer or other risk factors, your provider may recommend starting earlier and will help you create a screening plan.”

When it’s time for your mammogram, Wellstar offers 16 mammography locations, and our patients have state-of-the-art technology on their side. We offer high-resolution breast screening, including 3D mammograms.

A 3D mammogram provides a series of detailed images of the breast, allowing healthcare providers to better evaluate breast tissue layer by layer, making fine details more visible and no longer hidden by overlapping tissue. A 3D mammogram is clinically proven to provide more accurate breast cancer screening and can help reduce false-positive callbacks for additional imaging.

Call (678) 581-5900 to schedule your mammogram. You can also ask your Wellstar care team to put your mammogram order in MyChart and you'll have the ability to schedule online.

Compassionate follow-up care with the Comprehensive Breast Health Program

If you are of average risk and your screening mammogram results are normal, your next mammogram will be the following year. In addition to yearly mammograms, your clinician may recommend that you conduct monthly breast self-exams to look for any changes you’ll need to discuss with your care team. If you notice anything such as a lump, sore spot or a difference in the appearance of the skin, schedule an appointment to have your doctor evaluate your breast health.

If your screening mammogram is abnormal and you need follow-up care, a member of the Comprehensive Breast Health Program team will contact you to schedule additional imaging, automatically including you in this complimentary concierge program. They can also answer any questions you have about the program, next steps, what to expect at your follow-up appointment and more. If your additional imaging also shows an abnormal result, your care team will remain by your side, guiding you through every needed follow-up care step, which may include additional imaging, breast biopsy or specialist referral.

In the event you are diagnosed with breast cancer, treatment transitions from the Comprehensive Breast Health Program to the Wellstar Cancer Care team. The Comprehensive Breast Health Program team will coordinate this transition, and your breast health navigator will connect you with one of our oncology nurse navigators—registered nurses who bring a highly personalized level of guidance and support to each patient. The Wellstar Cancer Care team will continue to provide compassionate care with a multidisciplinary team of experts. 

How the Comprehensive Breast Health Program can help

An abnormal screening mammogram result can be overwhelming and upsetting for patients and their support systems. As you seek answers about your breast health, the concierge services of the Comprehensive Breast Health Program can make the process more seamless by helping with steps including:

• Creating your personalized care plan
• Scheduling appointments
• Assisting with insurance preauthorization
• Managing referrals
• Providing patient education

Breasts play an important role when it comes to a woman’s health, yes, but often they’re an important part of a woman’s identity, sexuality and function too. With 1 in 8 American women developing breast cancer in their lifetime, the disease affects many people physically and emotionally.

In this article, a patient and a group of breast experts discuss the best ways to prevent and fight breast cancer, as well as how to support family members, friends, colleagues or neighbors who may be diagnosed.  

 

What do women struggle with the most during treatment, and what helps?

Tameka Pearson, breast cancer survivor: When I was diagnosed, I just went to pieces. I cried for about two weeks straight. There were tears in my eyes when I’d wake up. I didn’t want to eat or go outside. I had to process the information. I was getting phone calls—updates and making appointments. But I was still a mom and a wife and had to go to work. That was a lot. 

When I was a child, my mom would say, ‘Pick yourself up and dust yourself off and get moving.’ I gave myself permission to mourn for two weeks—permission to loathe, to cry, to get it out of my system. Once those two weeks were over, I was done crying—done feeling sorry for me. I picked myself up and persevered. I realized I have a lot to live for! I couldn’t give up.

Before breast cancer, I did everything for my family—cooking cleaning, washing clothes. When I was diagnosed, they immediately took over. They became more independent, especially my children. My husband became more of the provider and caretaker. My children were like, ‘Mom, we need you to sit down; we need you to rest.’

One of my coworkers from the past is also a survivor and started a group called Lean On Me. When I logged onto a Lean On Me Breast Cancer Network Zoom meeting, I loved it. They were uplifting, prayerful and gave me great information if I had questions. 

Margie Apacible-Mancao, MSN, RN, CBCN, nurse navigator: After the initial shock of diagnosis, it’s not uncommon to get depressed or anxious. There can be the stress of transportation, childcare if they have young children at home or financial concerns. Sometimes patients experience anxiety for the first time, sometimes they’ve had it in the past and being diagnosed brings it to the front. We can connect them to counselors, financial counselors and social workers, or they can join a support group. Meeting with other patients and survivors helps them know they are not alone, get through treatment with hope and form great friendships. We live in a society where we’re trained to be independent, but when I meet with patients, I say, ‘Allow yourself to receive help.’

Dr. Karen Xu, MD, radiation oncologist: In general, radiation treatment for breast cancer is very well tolerated and most women go through the treatment without much difficulty. The most common side effects are fatigue and skin irritation appearing as a sunburn-like reaction from radiation treatment. We see patients at least once a week during radiation treatment and we recommend different creams depending on how severe the skin radiation reaction is. Mild physical activity usually helps with fatigue.

Dr. Sujatha Hariharan, MD, medical oncologist: One of the initial concerns patients have when they start chemotherapy is potential hair loss. This can be devastating and disheartening. We are excited to now offer cool caps as a means to reduce hair loss from chemotherapy. Cool caps work by cooling the scalp, leading to constriction of blood vessels in the scalp. This might reduce the amount of chemotherapy that reaches the hair follicles leading to reduced hair loss from the head. The success rate of the cool cap can vary from person to person.

There is a vast cancer support network available through Wellstar. Aside from the doctors, patients have support from social workers, chaplains, dietitians, nurses and nurse navigators. A whole team of people is here to help patients through the process. Patients often meet other patients during treatment where they bond and support one another. This can be such a meaningful and valuable relationship.  

The main thing is you’re not going to be alone. Many people will be here to help you with all aspects of your care.