Bon Secours Palmetto Pulmonary launches new program to help combat and treat lung cancer
April 17, 2025
South Carolina’s lung cancer rate is higher than the national average. Bon Secours knows early detection and effective management of the condition are paramount in helping patients prevent and survive it. So, the health system has launched a new Lung Nodule program.
“The goal is to ensure faster follow-up times for at-risk patients, because we know when it comes to potential cancer diagnoses, time is of the essence,” explained Dr. Nathanael Phillips with Bon Secours Palmetto Pulmonary and Critical Care. “We know by expediting the referral, evaluation, and management processes, we can reduce anxiety for patients and their families while also ensuring the appropriate care is delivered when it’s needed most. That timely intervention ultimately leads to better patient outcomes, and that’s what it’s all about – saving lives.”
Nathanael Phillips
The program will be run by physicians at Palmetto Pulmonary & Critical Care, which is located at 3 St. Francis Drive, Suite 300 on the hospital’s downtown Greenville campus. It will be referral-based and targets patients who receive certain lung cancer screening results.
Lung-RADS (Lung Imaging Reporting and Data System) is a classification system that breaks low-dose CT screening exams into categories that help standardize follow up and management decisions. The different categories (0-4X) represent different levels of nodule risk, with higher numbers indicating a greater likelihood of malignancy. Patients who receive a number of 3 or higher are eligible for referral into the program, ensuring that those at higher risk are promptly evaluated and managed.
“We closely monitor all the screenings, and when a patient meets the criteria, we immediately reach out to initiate the referral process. We also work very closely with the pulmonologists to allow for a fast and seamless transfer of patient information. This reduces the chances of oversight and ensures any at-risk patients don’t fall through the cracks,” said Bon Secours nurse practitioner Chelsea O’Brien.
Then new lung module program launched March 18 th and already numerous patients have benefitted from this faster, more efficient approach to patient care. To learn more, call 864-233- 8063 or visit bonsecours.com to find an expert, compassionate caregiver near you today.
About Bon Secours
Bon Secours St. Francis is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH), one of the 20 largest health systems in the United States and the fifth-largest Catholic health system in the country. The ministry’s quality, compassionate care is provided by more than 60,000 associates serving communities in Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia, as well as throughout Ireland. Bon Secours Mercy Health provides care for patients more than 11 million times annually through its network of more than 1,200 care sites, which includes 49 hospitals. In 2023, BSMH provided more than $600 million dollars in community investments across five states, ensuring that cost is not a barrier to health care for our patients in need. Locally, Bon Secours St. Francis provides compassionate medical care to thousands of area residents through Bon Secours St. Francis Downtown and Bon Secours St.
Francis Eastside, as well as a network of primary and specialty care practices, and ambulatory care sites across the Greenville region. The mission of Bon Secours St. Francis is to extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of our communities and bring good help to those in need, especially people who are poor, dying and underserved. For more information, visit BonSecours.com.
