OCTOBER EDITION, VOLUME 2023, NO. 10
~Capital Medical Society Celebrates National Breast Cancer Awareness Month~
BREAST CANCER – A GENERAL SURGEON’S PERSPECTIVE By Brett Howard, M.D. Nearly seven years ago, I returned to Tallahassee after five years of surgical training. When I began my practice, it was easy to reflect on some of the major medical centers I had been exposed to and identify the need for a comprehensive breast center in our region. I realized we already had many of the pieces necessary to achieve this goal: an advanced radiology practice, experienced surgeons, specialized pathology, enthusiastic nursing and therapy staff, and highly trained medical and radiation oncologists. The initial and most important piece, of course, is our supportive local community led by the Walker family. Sharon Walker died in 2005. She inspired the Tallahassee community as an active volunteer and advocate for women with breast cancer. To honor her memory, Sharon’s husband, Claude, and friends, family members, and supporters, established the Walker Breast Center at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH). This dedicated cancer treatment center strives for a progressive approach to individualized care.
It has become standard practice to provide a fullservice clinic that offers the latest in preventive care, support, and cancer education/information for breast cancer patients. In this single location, patients are provided with comprehensive services from a cohesive team of doctors and other experts who specialize in breast cancer. These centers have proven to shorten the time from diagnosis to treatment, improve outcomes, and result in better patient satisfaction. Why not Tallahassee? Why not the Big Bend region? Our community expands across many counties with a near total inclusive population of 1 million. Now that the incidence of breast cancer has risen to 125 cases per 100,000, we must be prepared to care for over 1,000 new cases of breast cancer annually. This expectation is what has motivated us to build our region's first state-of-the-art comprehensive breast center. During weekly interactive sessions, our experts meet to discuss each new patient’s case. This collaboration creates highly individualized care for our patients, providing them with the most
Capital Medical Society thanks the physicians and dentists in this community who provide care to breast cancer patients. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
CAPITAL MEDICAL SOCIETY 2023 MEETINGS CALENDAR October 17, 2023 CMS Membership & CME Meeting Prevention of Medical Errors (2-Hour CME) E. Victoria “Tori” Penny, Esq. and Julia Weeks, M.D. 6:00 pm Maguire Center for Lifelong Learning at Westminster Oaks
December 8, 2023 *NEW DATE* CMS Foundation Holiday Auction 6:00 pm Dunlap Champions Club at FSU
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