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Wednesday, July 10, 2024
Allegheny Health Network’s Jefferson Hospital Opens Expanded Breast and Imaging Center
Jefferson Hills, Pa. (July 10, 2024) — Allegheny Health Network’s (AHN) Jefferson Hospital today announced the completion of a $4.6 million renovation and expansion of its Breast and Imaging Center, significantly enhancing the facility’s capabilities and accommodations for patients.
The new space at AHN Jefferson has been enlarged by nearly 2,000 square feet, allowing the hospital to double its monthly diagnostic breast exam capacity and quadruple its monthly screenings capacity. The Center’s expansion includes a second ultrasound room, two additional mammography rooms, and a bone density scanning room.
The Center features state-of-the-art ultrasound technology and 3D mammography capabilities using Hologic’s 3D Quorum, a system powered by AI to enhance image clarity. The Center will also offer advanced device technology that allows radiologists to perform image-guided biopsies faster, more efficiently and with less tissue removal.
Other improvements at the renovated Breast Center include a larger, more private waiting area and enhanced check-in and check-out spaces designed for ease of access and improved patient wayfinding. Additionally, the facility features enhanced waiting rooms for gowned patients, directly adjacent to ADA-compliant dressing rooms for added privacy and comfort.
"We are thrilled to unveil our beautiful new breast center at AHN Jefferson Hospital. This important investment in our facility enables us to offer the highest level of breast imaging and care in an extremely comfortable and patient-friendly environment,” said Bethany Casagranda, DO, Chair of the AHN Imaging Institute. “Early detection and treatment of breast cancer is essential to providing women with the best possible outcomes and our goal is to make that experience a reality for more women in the South Hills and Lower Mon Valley communities through the resources this facility provides.”
Located at 575 Coal Valley Road in Jefferson Hills, the AHN Jefferson Breast Center is accredited by the American College of Radiology as a Breast Center of Excellence and offers a comprehensive range of imaging services, including mammography, ultrasound, DEXA bone density scans, stereotactic breast biopsies, ultrasound guided core biopsies, as well as Magseed® placement and needle localization procedures.
The opening of the new Jefferson breast and imaging center is the latest in a series of recent investments in AHN’s diagnostic and imaging capabilities.
In March 2023, AHN opened its new North Fayette Health + Wellness Pavilion, which includes a full scope of leading-edge imaging technologies and one of the region’s first 3T MRI scanners. In November 2023, AHN opened its newly expanded Bethel Park Health + Wellness Pavilion breast and imaging center, which offers MRI, CT, mammography, ultrasounds, DEXA bone density scans, echocardiograms, and radiography services.
Additionally, AHN’s Allegheny Valley Hospital is now in the process of expanding and enhancing its imaging capabilities, a project that will be completed later this year.
AHN’s breast imaging investments coincide with recently updated national guidelines recommending women begin breast cancer screenings at age 40, rather than age 50. Additionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration now requires mammography facilities to inform patients about breast density when discussing their overall risk profile and predisposition to breast cancer.
"These updated guidelines have notably increased the number of women who are eligible for an annual mammogram. When paired with an increase in general patient awareness of risk profiles, we have seen an uptick in women seeking services from the AHN Jefferson Breast Center,” said Chong Park, MD, president of AHN Jefferson. “This important investment in our imaging facility is another great example of AHN delivering on its Living Health model and commitment, allowing us to reach more women with best-in-class imaging services, right in their very own community.”
The AHN Jefferson Breast Center operates from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with evening hours on Wednesday.
Most patients are referred to the Center by their respective primary care or OB/GYN physician, but patients can also self-schedule by visiting www.ahn.org or calling 412-DOCTORS.
Established AHN patients may also schedule via MyChart.