NATIONAL MAH JONGG LEAGUE FOUNDATION PROVIDES $174,000 GRANT TO THE NASSAU HEALTH CARE CORPORATION TO PURCHASE STEREOTACTIC BREAST BIOPSY EQUIPMENT FOR MORE ACCURATE AND RAPID DIAGNOSIS, FOLLOWING PREVIOUS GRANT OF $100,000 USED FOR RENOVATIONS OF NATIONAL MAH JONGG LEAGUE FOUNDATION BREAST CENTER AT NASSAU UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
January 27, 2008
Contact:
Shelley Lotenberg
(516) 572-6055
shelley@numc.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
East Meadow, NY……Following a September 2005 grant of $100,000 to help renovate the breast center at Nassau University Medical (NUMC), the National Mah Jongg League Foundation (NMJLF) presented Arthur A. Gianelli, President/CEO of the Nassau Health Care Corporation, with a second grant, this time for $174,000 to purchase life saving, stereotactic breast biopsy equipment for the National Mah Jongg League Foundation Breast Center at NUMC.
In expressing his gratitude to Ruth Unger, chair of the board of the National Mah Jongg League Foundation for her continued commitment to helping save women’s lives at the breast center, Mr. Gianelli stated: “We are honored and grateful for your continued commitment to helping us improve women’s health services and helping to save lives through the National Mah Jongg League Foundation Breast Center at NUMC. By combining the latest technology through the LORAD Multicare Platinum stereotactic breast biopsy system, women will be provided higher quality breast diagnosis on a daily basis, instead of once every two weeks as previously available, an immeasurable benefit to all women since this will decrease the anxiety caused by the wait time and allow us to provide a more rapid diagnosis.”
The NMJLFBC specializes in providing life-saving mammography and breast health services, guiding women with breast cancer through the many treatment options available.
The LORAD MultiCare Platinum breast biopsy table offers the latest advances in stereotactic technology and ensures safe, easy access to all lesions. The exclusive contoured table allows the patient to lie comfortably in either direction throughout the procedure and the system is equipped with an ATEC biopsy device which can also be used for MRI breast biopsies. The stereotactic system reduces procedure time and provides speed, accuracy, safety and patient comfort.
Steven Walerstein, MD, NHCC’s senior vice president for medical affairs and medical director stated: “Image guided breast biopsy can be less stressful, with minimal risk of complications, in comparison to open surgical biopsy. This minimally invasive alternative has a high accuracy rate and can be performed under stereotactic, ultrasound or MRI guidance without anesthesia or post-procedual stitches. Less internal scarring is an additional benefit of image guided breast biopsy, which minimizes interference with future monitoring, and diagnosis of breast abnormalities.”
Victor Scarmato, MD, chair of the radiology department at NUMC, also thanked the National Mah Jongg League Foundation board for their generosity and commitment to enhancing women’s health services at NUMC: “Thanks to your generosity, we now have a system that uses the most advanced technologies in digital mammography and vacuum assisted breast biopsy with greater accuracy and less trauma for our patients. This is the start of the digital transformation for our breast center as we are in the planning stages of implementing full field digital mammography.”
Mr. Gianelli concluded by stating: “There is no other facility that screens as many uninsured and underinsured women, touching the lives of more than 6,000 women and their families who are at risk or are affected by breast cancer as NUMC. As a result of having this equipment purchased by the National Mah Jongg League Foundation, we will be able to enhance our mission of early detection, accurate diagnosis and successful treatment for all women utilizing our breast health services.”
