Breast assessment is a series of diagnostic tests and procedures that follows the identification of an abnormality in the breast, which can be detected clinically or through a screening mammogram. The Linda Buchan Centre will organize a comprehensive pathway of diagnostic testing and care, through a standardized and targeted approach. “We have made great strides in diagnostics over the last year,” said Ron Saddington, President and CEO of TBRHSC. “The Linda Buchan Centre not only fulfills our mandate for focused patient care, but provides an unprecedented level of coordinated care. With TBRHSC now an OBSP (Ontario Breast Screening Program) affiliate and CAR (Canadian Association of Radiologists) accredited site, and in keeping with the call to action through the Ontario Cancer Plan, I am confident that we are on the path to becoming a leader in the field of breast screening and assessment.”

Over the last ten years, all of the research and collected data determines that outcomes improve when comprehensive, high-quality, multi-disciplinary assessment is integrated with screening. The Linda Buchan Centre will strictly adhere to the provincial standards and evidence-based guidelines to ensure that the ten percent of patients that are called back for further investigation are provided with the highest level of care. The staff providing this care includes CAR accredited radiologists, pathologists, surgeons and technologists that will work together in a new consultative framework. The main point of patient contact will be a newly appointed Breast Assessment Coordinator, an experienced nurse examiner and currently an assessment coordinator with the OBSP. She will provide the spectrum of care within the assessment model, from coordinating diagnostic services to providing access to counseling and emotional supports. “We are responding to the provincial guidelines for breast assessment as set by the New Cancer System Quality Index, and providing a program that will ensure that ninety percent of patients with identified breast abnormalities are receiving those assessments within seven weeks,” stated Michael Power, Vice President of Regional Cancer and Diagnostics. “Our region has the second highest breast screening and retention rates in Ontario. We are capturing approximately 45% of all eligible women in our OBSP screening program, which is tremendous. However, our goal is 70% over the next few years, and with TBRHSC as a new OBSP affiliate and CAR accredited site, we have a targeted line to reach that goal.”

One of the keys to success with the Linda Buchan Centre is the family physician group in Thunder Bay. As the initial point of contact, family physicians will now be able to refer their patients with identified breast health concerns to a diagnostic process that will provide a comprehensive and definitive diagnosis in a timely and coordinated manner. The program is designed to complement services currently being provided by primary care physicians, with final decisions regarding performance of recommended tests and procedures remaining with the primary physician. “The need for coordinated and standardized services in our healthcare system is paramount,” said Dr. Heather McLean, family physician. “The Linda Buchan Centre will not only make the referring physician’s job that much easier, but will provide consistent and coordinated diagnostic investigation for a definitive outcome for the patient.”

In December 2005, with planning for the breast assessment program already underway, the steering committee for the project approached the NCRF and the Bearskin Airlines Hope Classic Organizing Committee with funding and naming opportunities. At the 2006 Bonspiel, the NCRF and the Hope Classic Organizing Committee announced that they had agreed to name the program the Linda Buchan Centre for Breast Screening and Assessment, with the NCRF as the primary fundraising agency for the Centre. “It was a very emotional moment,” said Jody Nesti, breast cancer survivor and board member of the NCRF, and personal friend of Linda Buchan. “Linda was a courageous and strong advocate in the fight against breast cancer, as well the founder of the Bearskin Airlines Hope Classic, so it is absolutely fitting that this centre be named for her. The Bearskin Airlines Hope Classic has been such a successful event, raising awareness and a tremendous amount of financial support for the NCRF breast cancer fund. In ten years we have raised $1.2 million for Northwestern Ontario from this one event. The NCRF is very proud to be a part of this new program for our region, as it is our mission to raise funds that are 100% dedicated to support excellence in cancer care in Northwestern Ontario.”