The Abbotsford Breast Health Centre is celebrating their 5^th year anniversary!

We can hardly believe it has already been five years since the Abbotsford Breast Health Centre (ABHC) was opened as a “pilot project” on May 31, 2011. Clearly the “pilot project” has been a success, because five years later we are still here. The Crystal Gala foundation is very proud to have contributed and been part of the Abbotsford Breast Health Centre.

The goal of the Abbotsford Breast Health Centre is simple:

1. Make the journey as “easy” as possible by reducing stress & anxiety, supporting patients & families, providing teaching & reassurance.
2. Ensure the journey includes the best care possible by following research based “best practice”, expediting time to diagnosis and time to treatment, involving a multidisciplinary team and ensuring no patients fall through the cracks.

Here are some of the ABHC achievements we’ve seen over the last 5 years:

• When the Centre first opened, the plan was to support patients, both women and men during the initial phase of symptom to diagnosis only. Over the past 5 years, the centres involvement after diagnosis has dramatically increased in response to changes in other programs and, most importantly, feedback from patients. They now follow our patients during the surgical phase and beyond, providing teaching, referrals and all post-operative care until handover to BCCA.
• ABHC receives approximately 200-300 referrals per month. Physicians and the Screening Mammography Program, refer patients in addition to about 10% of our patients coming to the Centre as self-referrals. Since opening, the centre has seen approximately 13,000 patients and diagnosed about 800 new breast cancers. Close to 80% of patients receive a diagnosis within 21 days.
• In October 2015, thanks to generous funding from the John Laing Infrastructure Fund and the Crystal Gala, the Centre moved into our new home on the main floor of ARHCC. The layout and design of the new space provides a comforting and welcoming atmosphere that greatly enhances our ability to teach, counsel and ease the anxiety of our patients at every stage of their journey. As well, the new space has allowed them to expand the number and type of procedures we do (biopsies, surgeries, tissue expander fills, post-operative wound care and dressings, complex dressings and more).
• The ABHC team consists of 2 surgeons, 6 female GPs who work regular shifts, 2 dedicated clerks, a part-time surgical RN and our full time Nurse Coordinator. The Breast Health Centre is open to patients Monday to Friday.

We (The Crystal Gala Foundation) are so grateful to all of our sponsors, donors and supporters who help us fund the Centre and make it possible for the medical team to deliver exceptional care. We are so proud of the hard work of the ABHC staff and the excellent care and support they provide patients. Congratulations to the ABHC team for five action packed years!

The Abbotsford Breast Health Centre sees patients Monday to Friday. If you or someone you know finds something through a self-examination you can make an appointment at the New Breast Health Centre without a doctor’s referral. You don’t even have to live in the Fraser Valley. Contact 604-851-4806 for more information or to schedule an appointment.