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Jewish Hospital turns around mammogram results in 24 hours

Posted at 6:44 PM, Oct 12, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-12 18:44:29-04

CINCINNATI -- One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer sometime in their life. 

One local hospital has a unique way of tackling the stress that can come when waiting for test results. 

It's called "I Know." A patient can walk in for a screening mammogram, have a biopsy the same day and get results in 24 hours or less, according to Hilary Shapiro-Wright, the Mercy Health breast surgery program medical director. 

To do it, The Jewish Hospital - Mercy Health brought in a second radiologist and re-evaluated how it handled workflow and volume across departments. It can take just minutes.

"That's the advantage of this program," patient Suzy Dorward said. "I don't have to go through the mental anguish."

Some women wait weeks for answers, according to the American Cancer Society. The typical time, from first screening, to diagnostic screening, to biopsy, is about 22 days. 

Dorward received her results in the same hour. She said she felt "relief to know immediately that whatever we thought could happen, isn't going to happen."

Another woman's case was a little more involved, but she still received results by the next morning. 

"Before I could really think too much about it, it was done," patient Michele Lammert said.

The faster doctors know, the faster they can develop a plan of attack, if need be. Mercy Health is working to expand the "I Know" program within its system. 

Other local hospitals said their wait times were also better than the typical national wait. UC Health said it's "Sleepless Nights" initiative cut the time from screening to biopsy to about 12 days. At Tri-Health, it's 6-9 days.