The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation via the Northern Cancer Fund have partnered to address the needs of women and men with breast health concerns. This partnership is realized through the Linda Buchan Centre for Breast Screening and Assessment. It will provide a more coordinated and comprehensive approach to the investigation of breast health concerns and identified abnormalities.

Breast assessment is a series of diagnostic tests and procedures that follows the identification of an abnormality in the breast, which can be detected clinically or through a screening mammogram. The Linda Buchan Centre will organize a comprehensive pathway of diagnostic testing and care, through a standardized and targeted approach. The Linda Buchan Centre not only fulfills our mandate for focused patient care, but provides an unprecedented level of coordinated care. TBRHSC has been named an OBSP (Ontario Breast Screening Program) affiliate and CAR (Canadian Association of Radiologists) accredited site.

Over the last ten years, all of the research and collected data determines that outcomes improve when comprehensive, high-quality, multi-disciplinary assessment is integrated with screening. The Linda Buchan Centre will strictly adhere to the provincial standards and evidence-based guidelines to ensure that the ten percent of patients that are called back for further investigation are provided with the highest level of care. The staff providing this care includes CAR accredited radiologists, pathologists, surgeons and technologists that will work together in a new consultative framework. The main point of patient contact will be a newly appointed Breast Assessment Coordinator, an experienced nurse examiner and currently an assessment coordinator with the OBSP. She will provide the spectrum of care within the assessment model, from coordinating diagnostic services to providing access to counseling and emotional supports.

The Linda Buchan Centre responds to provincial guidelines for breast assessment as set by the Ontario Cancer System Quality Index, and provides a program that will ensure that ninety percent of patients with identified breast abnormalities are receiving those assessments within seven weeks. Northwestern Ontario has the second highest breast screening and retention rates in Ontario. We are presently capturing approximately 45% of all eligible women in our OBSP screening program, with a goal of 70% over the next few years.

One of the keys to success with the Linda Buchan Centre is the family physician group in Thunder Bay. As the initial point of contact, family physicians will now be able to refer their patients with identified breast health concerns to a diagnostic process that will provide a comprehensive and definitive diagnosis in a timely and coordinated manner. The program is designed to complement services currently being provided by primary care physicians, with final decisions regarding performance of recommended tests and procedures remaining with the primary physician. The Linda Buchan Centre will not only make the referring physician’s job that much easier, but will provide consistent and coordinated diagnostic investigation for a definitive outcome for the patient.

Linda Buchan was a courageous and strong advocate in the fight against breast cancer, as well the founder of the Bearskin Airlines Hope Classic. The Bearskin Airlines Hope Classic has been an extremely successful event, raising awareness and a tremendous amount of financial support for the Northern Cancer Fund.

For further information, please contact us at: The Linda Buchan Centre 980 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6V4 Phone: 807-684-6300 Fax: 807-684-5854