Ascension St. John Launching New All-Inclusive Comprehensive Breast Center

Ascension St. John Hospital in Tulsa is opening its new all-inclusive Mary K. Chapman Comprehensive Breast Center on the fifth floor of the Chapman Building. The center will include imaging, mammograms, surgery, and other breast-health needs all in one place.

Typically when a patient finds out they need more testing or surgery after a mammogram, they have to go to several locations for each part of the process, but not anymore.

The new breast center will fully open the first week of August, but starting Friday morning, patients can schedule an imaging appointment. To schedule, call (918)-744-3511.

The grand opening ceremony will take place Thursday evening at 5 p.m. with several speakers, a blessing of the unit and a small celebration.

Breast Surgeon Laurie Flynn said coming to work in a place like this is huge because the doctors can now get and share information quickly, which in turn helps the patient.

“When I start working here I can just walk across the hall to get a consultation or get the information I need, it’s so much more efficient than missing phone calls or having to walk between buildings to get what I need,” Flynn said.

Flynn said most surgeries will be done in the actual main hospital building, but some can be performed at the Breast Center.

Director of Breast Imaging Dr. Andra Nuzum-Keim said she knows how busy women are and when you add the stress of a health issue, it just makes sense to have everything in one place.

“With building the center we wanted to try to make it as patient-centered as possible, all in trying to take care of women but to also make things as comfortable as possible for those that are needing our care,” Nuzum-Keim said.

The doctors said their goal for years was to figure out how to make the process less scary for women since a potential cancer diagnosis is already terrifying. They said now even the parking is made simple since it is just on the ground level outside of the Chapman Building, a short walk to the fifth floor, and then into the new large waiting room.