(October 24, 2024 – Florence, SC) In 2004, the McLeod Breast Health Center was established to ensure rapid diagnosis, education and emotional support for women facing a diagnosis of breast cancer. Twenty years later, this team of providers continue to promote a continuity of care by offering the full spectrum of breast services from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and support.
Tracey O’Neal, RN, OCN, BCBN, became only the second Breast Health Specialist to care for women at McLeod in 2015 – a role she continues to serve in today. Coming full circle, in early 2024, Maureen Byrd, FNP-C, CBCN, the first McLeod Breast Health Specialist, returned to the Breast Health Center to serve as the Breast Health Coordinator for the new High-Risk Breast Clinic. Byrd set the standard for oncology nurse navigation at McLeod. After completing her education to become a Nurse Practitioner, Byrd began working with cancer patients at McLeod Oncology and Hematology Associates and then with the McLeod Home-Based Palliative Care Program.
Each team member at the McLeod Breast Health Center makes it their purpose to involve patients and their families with the treatment plan. The goal is to make the individual’s entry into the system as painless and seamless as possible. McLeod also strives to provide personalized breast cancer care since one treatment does not fit all. The team individualizes a plan to each and every patient’s needs.
“We are making sure there are no gaps between patients and their medical decisions,” said Byrd. “We are their advocates and will help with anything they need, even if they need us to hold their hand. McLeod is concerned about easing the mind of patients and ensuring the best individualized treatment plan in a timely manner. We want to educate our patients, expedite their waiting process, and make sure they are given the appropriate referrals.”
Dedicated to the early detection and treatment of breast cancer, McLeod is the only Breast Health Center in the area accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers
(NAPBC), a program administered by the American College of Surgeons. McLeod received this prestigious acknowledgement of the quality of care it offers to breast cancer patients in 2010 – the first and only breast program in the region to achieve this designation. In addition, the McLeod Breast Health Center is a Designated Comprehensive Breast Imaging Center by the American College of Radiology.
For more information on the McLeod Breast Health Center, please call (843) 777-4444.
