Sue Prill, MD, oncology
Leonard Family Comprehensive Breast Center at Bristol Regional Medical Center Wellmont Cancer Institute ASK DR. PRILL
What attracted you to oncology? Oncology is a field that is constantly changing, so it appeals to the scientist in me. It is also a field where I really get to help patients going through tremendous emotional stress and upheaval. I also receive so many positives from the interaction I have with my patients.
Where is your office located? I actually just moved. I am now conveniently based out of the new Leonard Family Comprehensive Breast Center at Bristol Regional, where I am getting the opportunity to focus exclusively on breast cancer treatment and diagnosis.
What makes the Leonard Family Comprehensive Breast Center unique? We’ve created a collaborative care model that brings radiologists, medical oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, pathologists, lymphedema specialists, nurse navigators and other integrated caregivers together to design our patients’ treatment plans. Each new case we diagnose is discussed among the team, and then we arrive at a care plan that is customized around each patient’s individual needs and circumstances.
How was this new center made possible? All of this became possible with a donation from the Leonard Family Foundation to Wellmont Foundation. After Frank Leonard’s wife, Jackie, recovered from cancer, he recognized the value of cutting-edge technologies in detecting and treating cancer. Wanting to enhance the cancer care available here, Mr. Leonard and his family established both the Jackie Leonard Infusion Center and the Leonard Family Comprehensive Breast Center at Bristol Regional.
I HAD A VISION ...
That’s what we’ve created with the Leonard Family Comprehensive Breast Center. We provide personalized care in a healing environment for those patients. They’ve given so much to care for their friends and loved ones. Now it’s our turn to care for them. I believe it’s important to remember that every breast cancer is different and every patient is different. With that in mind, our care model is collaborative – doctors and other caregivers from several disciplines work together to tailor treatment plans to the unique needs of each patient. We also wanted our patients to be as comfortable as possible. That’s why the breast center provides a level of comfort and convenience you might be surprised to find in a medical setting. It all serves to reinforce fact that we really do care.
30 | VIPSEEN | AUGUST 2013
PHOTO BY Randy Gentry, Fresh Air Photo
.. . that our community would have a breast center that provides access to expert physicians, advanced technologies and unmatched support for the needs of every patient, from prevention to treatment to survivorship.