Saddleback Memorial Opens New Breast Center in San Clemente

New Screening Facility Features All-Digital Imaging Equipment

San Clemente, Calif. (October 15, 2007) – Saddleback Memorial Medical Center announces the opening of the MemorialCare Breast Center in San Clemente during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

This new facility, a satellite screening site, is an extension of the MemorialCare Breast Center at Saddleback Memorial - Laguna Hills where patients will receive advanced follow-up breast care should it be necessary.

“The San Clemente facility is designed for the comfort and convenience of patients, and boasts a professional, attentive staff to make the mammography experience as stress-free as possible,” says Liz Bear, Saddleback Memorial-San Clemente administrator. “We strive to deliver the highest quality care to the patients we serve by using the most advanced technologies available for the early detection of breast cancer.”

The new screening site features state-of-the-art digital mammography. Digital mammography allows the radiologist to view the x-ray image more closely zeroing in on suspicious or concerning areas. This technology makes mammograms convenient and faster for patients and limits the need for retakes. It also allows the radiologist to manipulate the image, magnifying details, increasing or decreasing contrast, or reversing black and white values—all of this improving the quality of the exam and the interpretation.

“A recent Digital Mammography Imaging Screening research study sponsored by the U.S. National Cancer Institute showed that digital mammography was significantly better than film mammography in screening women who had very dense breast tissue, which often includes women under 50 or those who were pre- or perimenopausal,” says Lauralyn Markle, M.D., medical director at the MemorialCare Breast Center at Saddleback Memorial.

Every patient newly diagnosed at a MemorialCare Breast Center receives consultation and education to prepare them to participate in their own treatment option decisions. New patient cases are presented at a weekly pre-treatment planning conference with breast specialists, radiologists, pathologists, surgeons, plastic surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, nurse practitioners, and social workers attending. This provides for coordinated comprehensive care utilizing an interdisciplinary team approach. The new MemorialCare Breast Center in San Clemente is one of five designated Susan G. Komen, Orange County Affiliate, Resource Centers in Orange County and offers free, accessible information on breast health and breast cancer. The public is welcome to stop by and visit the resource center during regular business hours. Located at 1300 Avenida Vista Hermosa in San Clemente, the Saddleback Health Center also houses other Saddleback Memorial services, including cardiac rehabilitation, a laboratory draw station and outpatient rehabilitation services. Appointments at the MemorialCare Breast Center at San Clemente are available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. To schedule a mammogram, please call (949) 452-7200.

Due to the fire activity in the area and difficult traffic conditions, the MemorialCare Breast Center in San Clemente open house and ribbon cutting has been cancelled for this evening.

We appreciate your understanding.

Saddleback Memorial will host an open house and ribbon cutting on October 24, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. The media and public are welcome to attend. Refreshments and hors d’oeurves will be served.

About Saddleback Memorial Medical Center
A 325-bed hospital with locations in Laguna Hills and San Clemente, Saddleback Memorial Medical Center has been working to enhance the health and well-being of South Orange County residents for over 30 years. In addition to 24-hour emergency care, Saddleback Memorial offers complete critical care and an array of inpatient and outpatient surgical services. Saddleback Memorial is part of MemorialCare, a system of not-for-profit, community based medical centers.