Project Summary
The Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center (JACBCC) has been the dream of Dr. Rashid Abdu since the disease took the life of his beloved wife Joanie nearly twenty years ago. Since then, Dr. Abdu has been researching, planning and creating a fund to make this facility a center of excellence for the women of the Mahoning Valley who are diagnosed with breast cancer.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Statistics show breast cancer mortality rates in Mahoning and Trumbull counties are among the highest in Ohio. Statistics also show improved outcomes for women being treated at a comprehensive breast care center. The JACBCC, which will be on the campus of St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown, will help to:
Shorten diagnosis time to just a few days. Currently, the time from mammogram to biopsy to diagnosis can take up to 30 days! This period of time can be an agonizing wait for the patient and her family. Fear of the unknown can put an enormous stress on the patient at a time when a positive mental attitude is key.
Streamline services for patients. This will ease the burden of traveling to multiple facilities, parking, and transporting x-rays and other medical records. In addition to medical services, other complementary therapy services will be offered..
Show improved outcomes for patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The JACBCC will implement a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment. This allows all physicians treating the patient (oncologist, radiologist, pathologist etc.) to confer on the best treatment option for each individual patient. There is no “one size fits all” style of treatment. All physicians will adhere to the protocols and highest standards of care set forth by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers.
The cost of the project is $8 million. Capital commitments and funds raised are now at $7.5 million. Roughly half of the funds raised will be used for renovation of existing space in downtown Youngstown's St. Elizabeth Health Center. The other half will finance the latest and most effective technology such as a digital mammography. The JACBCC will have the look and feel of a warm and comfortable haven, rather than a cold hospital wing, to help reduce the considerable stress women are facing. We are committed to the downtown Youngstown campus so that all women, regardless of their economic status, have easy access to this facility.
On this 100th Anniversary year of St. Elizabeth Health Center, Humility of Mary Health Partners continues to meet the changing medical needs of the residents of the Mahoning Valley and beyond. The JACBCC is an example of that commitment continuing into the next 100 years.
