Spectrum Health offers its condolences to Betty Ford’s family

Betty Ford did much for the women of our nation by bringing attention to the need for education and early detection. Her legacy of promoting breast care services lives on and is saving lives

Make a memorial contribution in memory of Betty Ford.

Betty Ford Breast Care Services Provides Advanced Care

What does it mean to offer comprehensive breast care services?

“A comprehensive breast care program means a patient has access to a full continuum of care from screening through treatment,” said Thomas Getz, MD, medical director, Betty Ford Breast Care Services, Spectrum Health. “We work closely with area physicians to coordinate and customize our approach for each patient. We have a large system with many diagnostic and treatment options, and that is a plus. As the largest breast care center in West Michigan, our physicians and staff have a high level of proficiency given the volume of procedures they provide.”

In 2010, Spectrum Health was the only program in West Michigan granted three-year, full accreditation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), which is administered by the American College of Surgeons. Accreditation by the NAPBC is only given to breast care centers that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest level of quality breast care. Programs must undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance.

Receiving care at Spectrum Health, a NAPBC-accredited center, ensures that a patient will have access to:

Comprehensive care, including a full range of state-of-the-art services
A multidisciplinary team approach to coordinate the best treatment options
Information about ongoing clinical trials and new treatment options
A nurse navigator who will assist the patient through his or her care
World-class breast care close to home

Betty Ford Diagnostic Breast Center is designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology. Fewer than 5 percent of breast centers nationally have this designation.

Spectrum Health Betty Ford Breast Care Services also is the only organization in Michigan to participate in FDA-approved research regarding tomosynthesis, three-dimensional imaging, which represents the next level of technology in breast imaging.

“Breast cancer patients don’t have to go beyond this region to get the very best of care but it needs to be individualized and coordinated,” said Jane Pettinga, MD, Spectrum Health Medical Group, and program director, Spectrum Health Breast Care Services.

The mission of Betty Ford Breast Care Services is to provide state-of-the-art diagnostics, education and testing for breast health in a confidential, comfortable setting. Each year, Betty Ford Breast Care Services at Spectrum Health performs:

50,000 mammograms
45,000 computer-aided detections
2,000 minimally invasive biopsies
8,884 other diagnostic procedures (such as breast ultrasound, breast MRI, galactograms and pre-surgical needle localizations)

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of nine hospitals including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, a state of the art children’s hospital that opened in January 2011, and 180 service sites; the Spectrum Health Medical Group and West Michigan Heart, physician groups totaling more than 600 providers; and Priority Health, a health plan with 625,000 members. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer with more than 17,800 employees. The organization provided $115.9 million in community benefit during its 2010 fiscal year. In 2011 and 2010, Spectrum Health was named a Top 10 Health System by Thomson Reuters.