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Winston-Salem, NC - Forsyth Medical Center's Breast Clinic and the Forsyth Medical Center Foundation have received a $30,000 grant from the North Carolina Triad Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The grant will fund a new Breast Educator to work with patients who are waiting to learn whether the lump in their breast is malignant or benign.

"Our patients say that their biggest fear and anxiety occur the time between getting a screening mammogram and being called back for additional testing," says Susanne Hill, director of The Breast Clinic at Forsyth Medical Center. "It's the fear of the unknown."

Funded in part by the Foundation grant, the clinic's Breast Health Educator will work with patients who are called back for additional procedures or testing after an initial abnormal mammogram. The position will allow The Breast Clinic to educate women about benign breast diseases such as fibrocystic disease, explain to them what is involved in a breast biopsy and provide support during the diagnostic process.

The Breast Health Educator works with patients before diagnosis. Should a woman be diagnosed with breast cancer, she will be assigned a Breast Cancer Patient Navigator to work with her throughout her treatment process.

"We're now very fortunate to have someone to work with these patients to provide education and support throughout the diagnostic process," says Hill.

Novant Health is a not-for-profit healthcare system in western North Carolina, serving people in 32 counties reaching from southern Virginia to northern South Carolina. Novant and the majority of its facilities are 501(C)3, private, community organizations.

The healthcare system consists of seven hospitals in the Triad and Charlotte markets: Forsyth Medical Center, Medical Park Hospital, and Thomasville Medical Center in the Triad market: Presbyterian Hospital, Presbyterian Orthopaedic Hospital, Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville and Presbyterian Hospital Matthews of the Charlotte market. Other facilities and programs of Novant Health include three philanthropic foundations, two nursing home and senior residential facilities, physician clinics, outpatient surgery and diagnostic centers, rehabilitation programs and community health outreach programs.