STATE COLLEGE — Mount Nittany Health’s dedicated women’s health care providers provide comprehensive care, including labor and delivery, a Breast Care Center, specialized breast surgeons, obstetrics and gynecology, and the recently expanded Joseph V. and Suzanne P. Paterno Women and Children’s Services Unit.
“For decades, men’s health was the default in health care, but that’s changed, and Mount Nittany Health has changed along with it,” said Katherine Rhine, president and CEO, Mount Nittany Health.
One-half of the world’s population is women. One in eight women will have breast cancer and early screening is critical to a woman’s survival. Mount Nittany Health has prioritized breast care, including a dedicated Breast Care Center and the recent addition of a specialized breast surgeon.
Mount Nittany Health’s Breast Care Center is led by dedicated breast imagers who, after five years of radiology residency, completed an extra year of training specifically focused on breast imaging, making them super specialized in interpreting mammograms, breast ultrasounds and MRIs.
“I feel very fortunate to be able to do breast imaging all day, every day,” said Dr. Allison Yingling, breast radiology, Mount Nittany Health. “Studies have shown that radiologists focusing on breast imaging tend to detect smaller cancers than general radiologists. This means the patient will undergo less treatment and maybe avoid chemotherapy before surgery. It makes a significant difference.”
The value of a dedicated Breast Care Center puts the patient at ease with the knowledge that they have experts focused on their specific condition.
“It’s what they do all day, every day, and that takes away a lot of the nervousness a patient may have,” said Dr. Matthew Davidson, general surgery, Mount Nittany Health. “The staff there are mostly women. They have a patient navigator who explains what is happening and gives patients a confident answer. It eliminates a lot of the guesswork.”
Dr. Kennita Burns-Johnson, general and breast surgery, recently joined the surgery department at Mount Nittany Health. Her patient-centric approach to women’s health empowers patients to take control of the situation and gives them greater confidence that they will have a positive outcome.
“From start to finish, I focus on engaging with my patients early and often,” said Burns-Johnson. “I make sure they understand their diagnosis, the options they have for treatment, my role in the process and that the decision on treatment is their decision.”
Last year Mount Nittany Health opened the expanded and modernized Joseph V. and Suzanne P. Paterno Women and Children’s Services Unit, the largest of its kind in the region. It includes six labor and delivery rooms, two triage rooms, an advanced technology surgical suite and Level I and II nurseries. Mount Nittany Health offers three dedicated pediatric hospitalists. The unit also strives for the best birthing experience, offering 11 spacious all-private rooms, many with views of Mount Nittany, a lactation consulting area and amenities for labor and delivery partners.
