CONTRIBUTED BY EAH

Another much-needed service for East Alabama opened Monday at the new Auburn Medical Pavilion as East Alabama Health officials introduced specialized breast health care at the new Breast Health Center during a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Auburn Chamber of Commerce and Auburn Mayor Ron Anders.

Located on the third floor of the Auburn Medical Pavilion in the Auburn Research Park, the Breast Health Center is equipped with the latest in breast health imaging, including three 3D mammography machines and two ultrasound machines. The facility also has 12 private dressing rooms and same-day results for most breast screenings will be offered.

Cynthia Lorino, M.D., who joined the East Alabama Health medical staff this summer, will serve as the imaging medical director of the Breast Health Center. “What we’re offering here is truly exciting because this area has needed it for a long time,” Lorino said at the ceremony.

“It’s a comprehensive breast center which means all of the imaging you need you can have at our facility,” Lorino said. “That includes everything from screening mammograms and ultrasounds to biopsies. Plus, we’re putting into place ways to follow-up with patients who have a positive diagnosis so that we make sure you’re taken care of the best way possible.”

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

East Alabama Health President Laura Grill said, “When we first spoke with Dr. Lorino, she had a vision, and we had a vision as well and she said ‘if you build it, I will come’ — and so we did. It’s really a beautiful facility and we’re excited to offer it to the community.”

After thanking East Alabama Health for its work with the pandemic the past 24 months — and noting the hospital’s continued growth to meet the needs of the region — Auburn Mayor Ron Anders said, “I’m not surprised that this is opening today. It’s what we have come to expect from this great group of people.”  

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BREAST HEALTH CENTER:

Patients who receive a diagnosis of breast cancer have nurse navigators available at the Breast Health Center to provide personal guidance every step of the way. This includes scheduling follow-up appointments and treatment, helping navigate medications and insurance and keeping patients informed throughout their journey.

3D mammography combines multiple breast x-rays to create a three-dimensional image of the breast, allowing for clearer observation to help determine if anything suspicious has been found. 3D mammograms can help provide patients and their health care team with more information related to issues such as a breast mass or breast pain and can also help detect breast cancer in people who do not have any other signs and symptoms. The more precise imaging of a 3D mammogram also helps reduce the need for follow-up imaging when compared to a standard mammogram.

Breast ultrasound is used to determine if a mass found during a mammogram is made of solid tissue or is filled with fluid. Ultrasound is a non-invasive way to find out more information about a mass or lump found in the breast, and to help determine next steps in care. Not every patient requires an ultrasound — physicians will make the determination based on any abnormal findings from a breast screening.

ABOUT THE AUBURN MEDICAL PAVILION:

Located at 900 Camp Auburn Road in Auburn, the Auburn Medical Pavilion is home to the East Alabama Medical Center Freestanding Emergency Department (1st floor, opened June 2021), the East Alabama Ambulatory Surgery Center (2nd floor, opening December 2021) and the Breast Health Center (3rd floor, opened Nov. 22). The Freestanding Emergency Department (FED) is accompanied on the first floor by diagnostic radiology services, a laboratory and a pharmacy. A retail pharmacy called East Alabama Apothecary is also located on the first floor and will be open Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to the services provided to the FED, outpatient services for both laboratory and radiology are provided at this location Monday – Friday. Patients needing lab work collected related to a physician office visit can walk in from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., while patients needing radiology services are scheduled between 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

ABOUT EAST ALABAMA HEALTH:

East Alabama Health encompasses East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, EAMC-Lanier in Valley, the Spencer Cancer Center in Opelika, the Auburn Medical Pavilion and a host of other key medical clinic and practices that help provide a continuum of care to patients throughout an 11-county area. EAMC is a 340-bed regional referral hospital, while EAMC-Lanier provides inpatient services as well as a nursing home, an acute rehab unit and an ambulatory surgery center that opened in spring 2021. East Alabama Health employs about 3,500 employees and is the second largest employer in the region, trailing only Auburn University. For more information, visit www.eamc.org.