ROWLETT, TX – April 12, 2010 – What is a Breast Health Nurse Coordinator?  A compassionate and knowledgeable individual to help guide you and answer your questions related to your breast health and/or breast cancer diagnosis.

Barbara Quast, RN, has joined Lake Pointe Health Network as a Breast Health Nurse Coordinator.  As an integral part of the Lake Pointe Breast Center, Barbara brings 25 years of nursing experience, joining a team of physicians and technologists dedicated to the comprehensive care and support of our community.

“Like many women, I have been touched by breast cancer when my mother was diagnosed”, explains Barbara.  “My role as Breast Health Nurse Coordinator is to calmly support the patient and ensure they have all the information they need.  By providing a personal approach to each patient’s care, I look to make a difference in the lives of my patients.”

• Barbara’s role as Breast Health Nurse Coordinator at Lake Pointe is to:
• Counsel women at high-risk for developing breast cancer
• Educate you and your loved ones about your individual diagnosis and treatment options
• Help you make informed decisions about your treatment and care
• Advocate for you during treatment
• Coordinate the team of physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals providing your care
• Help you with your recovery and rehabilitation plans
• Provide moral support and a sympathetic ear
• Provide community education on breast/health and breast cancer
• Facilitate community support programs

The Breast Center includes an American Cancer Society resource center, providing information on prevention, diagnosis and treatment options for all types of cancer and includes both print and web-based resources.  And to help educate our community about breast cancer, Barbara offers the ‘Breast Health for Life’ community outreach program which promotes prevention and early detection while providing information about risk factors, screening guidelines and breast self examination.  In May, Barbara will begin offering a support program called ‘Living Well with Cancer’, providing ongoing education and support to those in our community dealing with cancer. 

For those women visiting the Breast Center, a Breast Cancer Risk Assessment will be conducted, providing both the 5-year and lifetime risk for developing breast cancer.  These risk assessments will also be provided at community events and health fairs in which Lake Pointe participates.  Counseling for women at high-risk, including genetic information and referrals to a genetic counselor, is provided through the Breast Center.

The Lake Pointe Breast Center offers comprehensive breast services including your initial screening and diagnostic digital mammograms; breast ultrasound; biopsies, including stereotactic, ultrasound-guided and MRI-guided biopsies; breast MRI; surgical options, including reconstruction; and can assist with access to medical oncologists and radiation oncologists in our community.  All these services are offered in your community, providing you the convenience and support you need, all right here.

For more information on the Breast Health Nurse Coordinator or the Lake Pointe Breast Center, please contact Barbara Quast, RN at 469-698-7824.  Or for a free physician referral, call 1-866-525-LPMC (5762) or visit our website at www.lakepointemedical.com.

 ABOUT LAKE POINTE MEDICAL CENTER

Lake Pointe Medical Center is a 112-bed acute care hospital located at 6800 Scenic Drive in Rowlett.  Lake Pointe Medical Center has been serving the residents of Rockwall, Rowlett, Royse City and the surrounding communities since 1987.  The hospital provides a wide spectrum of medical services, including an emergency department with Fast Track services, a 14-bed intensive care unit, women's services, a Level II Neonatal Nursery, diagnostic imaging, eight operating rooms and telemetry.  With a medical staff of over 400 physicians, Lake Pointe Medical Center provides a number of specialty services, including cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation, vascular surgery, neurosurgery, neurology, orthopedics, gastroenterology, oncology, infectious disease, general surgery, spine surgery, thoracic surgery, ear nose and throat, pulmonary medicine, urology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and neonatal services.  Lake Pointe also offers wound care, sleep medicine, physical, occupational and speech therapy as well as pulmonary rehabilitation.  The Lake Pointe Urgent Care Center in Rockwall provides quick, convenient care for minor emergencies and illness.  The Lake Pointe Imaging Centers in Forney and Rockwall provide extended imaging services to the community.  In 2009, the hospital received two designations:  a J.D. Power And Associates Distinguished Hospital Program Award for “An Outstanding Patient Experience” for Maternity Services; and two CIGNA Center of Excellence Designations for Laparoscopic Gall Bladder Removal and Vaginal Delivery.  The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency, licensed by the state of Texas and certified for participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.  To learn more about Lake Pointe Medical Center, visit www.lakepointemedical.com.

The ACR awards accreditation to facilities for the achievement of high practice standards after a peer-review evaluation of the practice.  Evaluations are conducted by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field.  They assess the qualifications of the personnel and the adequacy of facility equipment.  The surveyors report their findings to the ACR’s Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report.

“This ACR accreditation recognizes the dedication of our employees and medical staff to ensure that we consistently meet these nationally accepted standards”, stated Tracy Sifuentes, Director of Imaging Services at Lake Pointe Medical Center.  “Being ACR accredited in MRI is a great honor.  Our patients expect the highest quality of care and customer service, and this designation is a testament to the dedication of our staff to meeting and exceeding their expectations each and every day.”

Physicians ordering diagnostic imaging for their patients can be assured that Lake Pointe has gone through a rigorous review process to meet these nationally accepted standards.  The accreditation means that the personnel are well-qualified, through education and certification, to perform and interpret medical images and administer radiation treatments.  It also signifies appropriate equipment is available and the facility meets or exceeds quality assurance and safety guidelines.

ABOUT AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGY

The American College of Radiology (ACR), headquartered in Reston, VA, is a national organization serving more than 32,000 diagnostic and interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, and nuclear medicine and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.  The ACR is devoted to making imaging safe, effective and accessible to those who need it.

ABOUT LAKE POINTE MEDICAL CENTER

Lake Pointe Medical Center is a 112-bed acute care hospital located at 6800 Scenic Drive in Rowlett.  Lake Pointe Medical Center has been serving the residents of Rockwall, Rowlett, Royse City and the surrounding communities since 1987.  The hospital provides a wide spectrum of medical services, including an emergency department with Fast Track services, a 14-bed intensive care unit, women's services, a Level II Neonatal Nursery, diagnostic imaging, eight operating rooms and telemetry.  With a medical staff of over 400 physicians, Lake Pointe Medical Center provides a number of specialty services, including cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation, vascular surgery, neurosurgery, neurology, orthopedics, gastroenterology, oncology, infectious disease, general surgery, spine surgery, thoracic surgery, ear nose and throat, pulmonary medicine, urology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and neonatal services.  Lake Pointe also offers wound care, sleep medicine, physical, occupational and speech therapy as well as pulmonary rehabilitation.  The Lake Pointe Urgent Care Center in Rockwall provides quick, convenient care for minor emergencies and illness.  The Lake Pointe Imaging Centers in Forney and Rockwall provide extended imaging services to the community.  In 2009, the hospital received two designations:  a J.D. Power And Associates Distinguished Hospital Program Award for “An Outstanding Patient Experience” for Maternity Services; and two CIGNA Center of Excellence Designations for Laparoscopic Gall Bladder Removal and Vaginal Delivery.  The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency, licensed by the state of Texas and certified for participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.  To learn more about Lake Pointe Medical Center, visit www.lakepointemedical.com.

“In earning this distinction, Lake Pointe Medical Center has truly demonstrated its commitment to service excellence,” said Kevin Lieb, senior director of provider programs at J.D. Power and Associates. “Providing patients with a consistently positive experience is crucial, particularly with the high value placed on the service aspects of their maternity stay.”

The service excellence distinction was determined by surveying recently discharged patients from Lake Pointe Medical Center about their perceptions of their hospital stay and comparing the results to the national benchmarks established in the annual J.D. Power and Associates National Hospital Service Performance Study.^SM

The telephone-based research conducted among Lake Pointe Medical Center patients focuses on the five key drivers of patient satisfaction with their overall maternity experience. These drivers, which were identified in the national study, are speed and efficiency; dignity and respect; comfort; information and communication; and emotional support.

Lake Pointe Medical Center exceeds the national benchmark study score for overall maternity services satisfaction and performs particularly well, compared with the national study, in providing dignity and respect to patients. The hospital receives notably high ratings for the respect for patient privacy, courtesy of the nurses and courtesy of the discharge personnel.

The hospital also performs well relative to the national study for providing quick and efficient service, particularly for the promptness of the nurses’ response to call buttons.

Nearly 70 percent of Lake Pointe Medical Center patients surveyed say they would recommend the hospital to others, while 62 percent say they would return to the facility if needed. Forty percent of patients say they have “much more” trust and confidence in the hospital after their most recent stay, compared with only 18 percent of patients in the benchmark study.

“This recognition is a result of the dedication of our employees and medical staff to provide the best possible quality of care and highest level of patient satisfaction,” said Carolyn Jackson, CEO of Lake Pointe Medical Center. “I chose to have my twin daughters here in January because of my confidence in the quality of care delivered at Lake Pointe. Our employees and medical staff make a difference every day in the lives of their patients, and we are honored to receive this award.”

Nongovernmental, acute-care hospitals throughout the nation are eligible for the J.D. Power and Associates Distinguished Hospital recognition for inpatient, maternity, cardiovascular, emergency and outpatient services. Distinction is valid for one year, after which the hospital may reapply for this recognition.