Ascension Sacred Heart expands Bay Co. womens health – WMBB – mypanhandle.com

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) Ascension Sacred Heart administrators said they are investing in womens health.

Ascension Sacred Heart opened its second diagnostic womens center in the Panhandle on Friday.

The new center will offer some of the newest technology used to detect the early stages of breast cancer.

The biggest difference moving forward is you will no longer have to leave the area to get comprehensive care, Chief Medical Officer Mario Pulido said. You can now stay in your home, which is critically important when you are going through a diagnosis like this. Because family support, rest, nutrition, and having just a good support system all around.

Pulido said early breast cancer detection allows for more successful treatments. But Ascension Sacred Heart Bay has not been able to offer those vital screenings since before Hurricane Michael.

Aside from the emergency department at the main end of the beach, we were essentially non-operational, Pulido said.

Throughout this new facility, there is the technology for 3D mammograms, ultrasounds, as well as outpatient rehabilitation.

There is a Hologic mammography unit machine, it has the ability to do whats called a 3D mammography or biosynthesis, which essentially takes slices of the breast similar to a CT scan, Alabama native Dr. Jonathan Smith said. Smith is Ascensions new breast surgical oncologist.

He said his appointments will start next week.

We will be able to offer you world-class care that youd get in new york city or Houston, right here in your own backyard so Im really happy to be a part of that process and be able to offer that here, Smith said.

Dr. Smith and other Ascension staff hope to increase the number of women who have received their annual breast cancer screenings.

Ascension Sacred Heart will open a third diagnostic womens center next month at their Watersound location in Walton County.

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Ascension Sacred Heart expands Bay Co. womens health - WMBB - mypanhandle.com