Lexington Medical Center Foundation Launches “Campaign for Clarity”
September 7, 2016
The Lexington Medical Center Foundation plans to raise $3 million to make revolutionary new breast cancer equipment available throughout the hospital’s network of care. The Lexington Medical Center Foundation is about to launch the “Campaign for Clarity,” a capital campaign to upgrade all of its current mammography equipment to 3-D technology. 3-D mammography will become the standard of care at Lexington Medical Center.
Currently, Lexington Medical Center offers 3-D mammography in two locations — at Women’s Imaging on the main campus in West Columbia, and at Sandhills Women’s Care, a Lexington Medical Center physician practice in Northeast Columbia.
The campaign will allow the hospital to purchase software and equipment to make 3-D mammography also available at Vista Women’s Healthcare, a Lexington Medical Center physician practice; Lexington Medical Center Chapin; Lexington Medical Center Irmo; Lexington Medical Center Lexington; and in its mobile mammography van that serves local businesses and the hospital’s rural community medical centers.
“We’re very excited to make 3-D mammography a reality for all patients at Lexington Medical Center,” said Barbara Willm, vice president of Community Relations and Development at Lexington Medical Center. “Until we can find a cure for breast cancer, we can make early detection our top priority.”
Also known as ‘tomosynthesis,’ 3-D mammography creates a group of three-dimensional pictures of the breast and allows doctors to view tissue one millimeter at a time, making tiny details visible earlier and easier.
“Patients will find that 3-D mammography is no different from the mammogram they are accustomed to as far as compression, positioning and time,” said Jennifer Linfert, MD, FACOG, an OB/GYN at Sandhills Women’s Care. “The benefit to patients is that the multiple layers of images resulting from 3-D mammography can help doctors better evaluate the breast tissue.”
3-D mammography uses a low dose X-ray to create multiple images within seconds that are similar to the “slices” of images in a CT scan. The FDA-approved procedure uses the same type of equipment as a 2-D mammogram and a similar dose of radiation. Studies have shown that 3-D mammography also reduces false positives and unnecessary callbacks for patients with dense breast tissue.
To learn more about the “Campaign for Clarity” or to contribute to the campaign, visit LMCFoundation.com or call(803) 791-2540.
About Lexington Medical Center
Lexington Medical Center, in West Columbia, S.C., anchors a health care network that includes six community medical centers throughout Lexington County and employs a staff of 6,000 health care professionals. The network also includes comprehensive cardiovascular and oncology care affiliated with Duke Medicine, an occupational health center, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas and 58 physician practices. At its heart is the 428-bed state-of-the-art Lexington Medical Center, with a reputation for the highest quality care. Lexington Medical Center has won “Best Hospital” by readers of The State for 13 years, “Best Hospital” by readers of the Free Times, “Best Place to Have a Baby” by readers of Palmetto Parent and The State, the “Consumer Choice Award” from the National Research Corporation and the prestigious “Beacon of Excellence Award” from Press Ganey for outstanding patient satisfaction. Visit LexMed.com
