Cancer is the ultimate egalitarian, anyone is susceptible. This makes it the most fascinating of subjects. While I am curious about the biology of cancer, even closer to my heart is the patient and their journey.
This led me to specialise in womens’ imaging and undergo an additional fellowship, training in digital mammography, ultrasound, breast MRI and breast biopsy.
After training, I launched directly into my position as Chief of Breast Imaging at Christus St. Vincent Hospital & Santa Fe Imaging. I personally interpreted over 7000 breast exams a year and was often the first to share a breast cancer diagnosis with my patient. Building on this experience, I became Regional Chairman of the Cancer Committee and set forth on new oncology and surgical treatments for all cancer types, as well as budgeting and accreditation roles.
Driven by my interest in national cancer care, I stepped up to a position as a GE Healthcare Consultant. Here, I lectured on a national stage as a breast cancer expert, delving into product development, and breast cancer research.
This was an exciting role as product development is a truly wonderful way to directly impact millions of women and improve their medical experience. As a lecturer, I was afforded the opportunity to talk to many radiology customers and understand their unique challenges. Shortly after, I was invited to be the Medical Director of Automated Breast Ultrasound at GE Healthcare. This opportunity changed my outlook from being a US breast expert to a global breast cancer leader.
Throughout my career, my main aim has been to become an innovation leader to improve the doctor and patient interaction and experience.
This is where Volpara entered my journey. I am pleased to have a partner to bring health care forward into the next century. Medical transparency is vital to the advancement of health care, and Volpara makes it possible to understand the many facets of how health care providers are delivering consistent, quality mammograms to women and men worldwide.
I’m also pleased to see Volpara tackling breast cancer risk – the ultimate preventative measure for breast cancer is knowing your unique risk and what you can do to address it.
Despite much debate, the US has taken legislative action to inform women of their breast density and its relationship with increased breast cancer risk. While this not a new concept, it will be a new challenge to the national breast screening programs in Australia and New Zealand to address breast density, and continue to operate a sustainable and equitable breast programs. While there will be many hurdles, patients should know their breast density and it will require much thoughtful education of the public. This will be the stepping stone to how the public and private sectors address the needed resources.
One thing is certain, the financial impact of treating late stage cancer is far greater than early stage disease. Volpara’s role as international leader for breast imaging is just a start – expect this team to look beyond the breast cancer and set its sights on all cancers.
In addition to my role at Volpara, I serve as a breast radiologist at Hutt Hospital in Wellington, New Zealand. This allows me to maintain my connection with patients and see where Volpara can improve my ability to deliver care.
