Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to tour the new Dubin Breast Center at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
Having had breast cancer twice and each time being treated at a different cancer center, where I received quality care, I was not sure what I would see at Dubin that would make it stand out over my previous experiences. I soon found out.
The Center benefits from having the design vision of a physician who is also a breast cancer survivor. Dr. Eva Dubin has succeeded in marrying state of the art care with the emotional needs of breast cancer patients and the result is a patient-sensitive environment.
From the moment I entered I was struck by the soothing warm colors, the picture windows and a decor that includes large, vibrant photographs, primarily of landscapes. The Center is laid out in such a way as to support and respect patient privacy without making patients feel isolated. Seating areas are small and inviting throughout the facility even when waiting for testing procedures.
Dr. Dubin assured me that the areas I found most difficult in my diagnosis and treatment experiences had been eliminated at Dubin Breast Center, namely, having to go elsewhere for additional diagnostic tests, waiting time for those test results, and wait time for surgery and follow up care.
Dr. Dubin shared, “Our goal for the Dubin Breast Center is to provide patients with seamless care, which begins with breast cancer screening and continues through diagnosis and treatment and into survivorship. I know the stress that waiting puts on a patient and every effort will be made to keep the wait short when coming to be seen at the Center and from procedure to procedure. If something is found in a mammogram, then, if indicated, additional testing can be done right then and there.
The Dubin Center offers patients one place where all their needs can be met from initial mammogram through any and all needed follow up care including but not limited to additional diagnostic procedures breast surgery, breast reconstruction, radiation, chemotherapy, psychosocial support for patients and their families, massage, nutrition counseling, genetic counseling and social services.”
After Mount Sinai helped her win her battle against breast cancer, Dr. Dubin was determined to do more to help other women in the same situation. She and her husband Glenn Dubin, a Mount Sinai Trustee since 2004, envisioned creating a center where all the services that a breast cancer patient needs could be found under one roof. She and her husband made a donation that established the site and continue to raise funds in support of the Center.
The Dubin Breast Center is under the leadership of Co-Directors Elisa Port, MD, FACS, Chief of Breast Surgery, and George Raptis, MD, MBA, Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine. It is the only one of its kind located within an academic medical institution in New York City. Additionally, it is the first center in New York City to offer 3D mammography technology called tomosynthesis. This diagnostic technique allows for easier and earlier detection of breast tumors.
Every detail of the new center has been evaluated by Dr. Dubin and Drs. Port and Raptis. Helping them is an advisory panel of women, most of whom are also breast cancer survivors, who are able to suggest improvements to the patient experience.
Services are available not just for women with cancer, but also for those in remission and those looking to minimize their risk of getting the disease.
The Dubin Center is fully wheelchair accessible. The Center accepts private insurance as well as Medicaid and Medicare.
For more information about the Dubin Breast Center, visit http://www.dubinbreastcen
