Griffin Hospital will host ‘Rally in the Valley’ on May 6 to start a campaign to raise $1 million for a Breast Wellness Center in Derby.
The new Breast Wellness Center will combine medical, diagnostic, and outreach services for breast cancer treatment, Griffin Hospital said in a press release.
It will be home to the practice of a fellowship trained breast surgeon, digital mammography equipment, genetic counseling and testing, and a host of outreach and support services that will build on Griffin’s effective Rapid Diagnostic Breast Center model.
This patient-centered approach helps ease the anxiety experienced by women who discover a lump in their breast or have an abnormal mammogram by reducing the time from initial finding to definitive diagnosis and by helping to coordinate and expedite care, if necessary, once a diagnosis is made.
Since 2000, when the hospital unveiled its Rapid Diagnostic Breast Center, turnaround time has gone from 33 days to six days, on average. The new Center looks to bring that number down even further.
“The gold standard for turnaround time is 72 hours,” said Cornelia Evans, Executive Director of the Griffin Hospital Development Fund.
Evans said that having all the resources in the same place will reduce turnaround time.
Patrick Charmel, President and CEO of Griffin Hospital said Connecticut has the third highest rate of new breast cancers in the country, but only 52 percent of women in the lower Naugatuck Valley received mammograms last year.
“The community’s low mammography screening rate is unacceptable because we know that treatment is more effective when breast cancer is detected early,” Charmel said.
In 2009, breast cancer was the most frequent of all cancers to be diagnosed or first treated at Griffin Hospital.
“The need for more preventive screening and enhanced diagnostic capability is clear, and the creation of a Breast Wellness Center is central to this goal,” said Evans. “The ‘Rally in the Valley’ will be a rallying point to raise awareness of the issue, outline our plans to create both a world-class facility and breast wellness service for our area women and engage the community in helping us reach our goal.”
Evans calls the campaign “grassroots” in nature, which reaches out to schools, churches, clubs, individuals and businesses.
She says any donation is appreciated, from $5 to $500,000.
Susan Coyle, campaign co-chair, envisions the Center as “our legacy of hope and healing for the Valley.”
The rally will be held at Shelton Intermediate School at 675 Constitution Blvd. North in Shelton.
The event starts at 5:30 p.m. with a presentation of the hospital’s plans. There will also be live entertainment and patient testimonials.
For more information on the event or opportunities to become involved in the campaign, contact the Griffin Hospital Development Fund at (203) 732‑7504 or visit www.griffinhealth.org.
