Breast Imaging Division

The following article appeared in The Journal, May 15, 2003

The Breast Imaging Center (BIC), formerly known as Mammography. Since the opening of its new location March 17, 2003, BIC is able to provide same day imaging service to Breast Care Center patients when needed.

In the continuing expansion of Navy Medicine, BIC is another breakthrough designed specifically for breast health. Like the Breast Care Center, its goal is to provide state-of-the-art patient care using advanced technology and today's latest equipment.

BIC and its new daylight processing machines speed the completion of a patient's mammogram. For example, the technician no longer has to use a darkroom to develop x-rays. As the first facility to be partnered with Breast Care in the Radiology Department, the two centers give seamless breast diagnosis to patients. Simply put, if a patient is referred to Breast Care, the patient can then be seen by BIC that same day without leaving the floor.

By having the two centers side-by-side, we have proximity to the surgeons who can consult with the BIC staff at any time. Therefore, we can refer patients back and forth very easily because we are adjacent on the same floor.

There are two new ultrasound machines that replaced the old machine in Mammography. Ultrasound is used as a supplemental imaging modality in most cases, in conjunction with mammography. Using the ultrasound images, Breast Care doctors efficiently determine treatment options the same day after a patient undergoes an ultrasound examination.

Completing BIC's list of new equipment is a machine known as DINPACS, a high-quality monitoring system throughout the hospital that shows images from the main Radiology Department. BIC radiologists can review any other radiology study the patient has had, using this system.

Staff can also look forward to a new voice-recognition system in BIC, which is designed for reports. The computer will recognize the radiologist's words and transcribe the report directly into the computer, eliminating the need for a medical transcriptionist.

In addition to new equipment, BIC has upgraded privacy-comfort issues to create a more comfortable and less intimidating atmosphere for women.

Women will find BIC very patient friendly because they can sit in a waiting area with their gowns on. There is also a separate waiting area for significant others. In the old facility, women were wearing gowns in mixed company.

Women who need to undergo a breast examination may visit the Breast Care Center first, in case a lump is felt in the breast. Doctors there will give the patient a consultation form for evaluation at BIC for additional imaging. If there is a problem, the patient is notified that same day. For routine mammogram screenings, results are usually mailed to the patient within two weeks.

WRNMMC has the only Breast Imaging Center in the National Capital Area that is co-located with a Breast Care Center. Furthermore, the Breast Care medical team visits outlying clinics like Quantico and Patuxent River Naval Air Station, to update health care providers on breast and mammogram issues. The trips make it easier for the clinics' patients with breast concerns to get seen by breast surgeons and undergo mammograms in the same visit to WRNMMC, increasing both patient satisfaction and convenience.

The new technology and equipment of both centers is the wave of the future for breast diagnosis. We're very proud of our new facility, and we're hoping our patients will like the change.