Brookwood Baptist Health Reminds Community to Stay Up-to-Date on Screenings and Treatments During National Cancer Survivors Day June 7th
Jun 7, 2020 Benefits of cancer screenings during COVID-19 pandemic can greatly outweigh the risks
Brookwood Baptist Health is marking the 33rd National Cancer Survivors Day on June 7th with a strong reminder to the community to make sure missed cancer screening appointments due to the COVID-19 pandemic are rescheduled. Early diagnosis of many types of cancer can greatly increase the chance of successful treatment. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, appointments for screenings of cervix, colon and breast cancers were down between 86% and 94% compared to average volumes in the three years prior, according to Epic Health Research. Brookwood Baptist Health hospitals have protocols in place to safely treat patients with oncologic needs during this pandemic.
“We recognize state orders and social distancing protocols have caused many people to cancel or delay regular screenings,” said Tim Puthoff, chief executive officer of the Brookwood Baptist Health System. “We want the community to know that we have strict protocols in place to safely care for patients, and completely separate pathways for COVID and non-COVID patients in all our facilities. If you have missed or are behind schedule for an important screening, such as a mammogram or colonoscopy, you should not delay rescheduling these procedures.”
Brookwood Baptist Health hospitals are comprised of Brookwood Baptist Medical Center, Citizens Baptist Medical Center, Princeton Baptist Medical Center, Shelby Baptist Medical Center and Walker Baptist Medical Center. Brookwood Baptist Medical Center and Princeton Baptist Medical Center are accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer for their commitment to providing comprehensive, high-quality and multidisciplinary patient-centered care.
According to Dr. Fred Dumas, radiation oncologist on staff at Brookwood Baptist Medical Center, “Whether you are at an increased risk for breast cancer, including individuals with mutations such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, or you missed your regular screening mammogram due to COVID-19, now is the time to call your physician or breast center and get on the schedule. We have taken the proper steps to ensure patients who come to our hospitals or diagnostic centers for any screenings or procedures will be taken care of in a safe and secure environment.”
Beyond screenings and treatment, the TOUCH (Today Our Understanding of Cancer is Hope) cancer survivors support group is available at no cost to cancer survivors with any cancer diagnosis, as well as caregivers. The educational information presented at the support group may cover a wide variety of topics, including nutrition, physical therapy, spirituality, exercise, side effects of treatment, art therapy and more. Locations, as well as dates and times, is available at https://www.brookwoodbaptisthealth.com/events#934.
To learn more about oncology services available across the Brookwood Baptist Health System, visit https://www.brookwoodbaptisthealth.com/services/oncology.
