Nearly one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, meaning there’s a 13% chance of a diagnosis for every woman. Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among U.S. women and is the second most common cause of cancer death, behind lung cancer. 

Women often face a myriad of challenges and fears throughout their breast cancer journeys – from screening to diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. 

To enhance the overall patient experience, Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health is adapting to innovative technologies and providing additional support services to patients in 2024.   

Through the efforts of the Spartanburg Regional Foundation, the Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health is: 

• Implementing an innovative wireless localization pre-op technique to better pinpoint or target tumors and improve patient comfort  
• Expanding bone density and mammography services by opening a Bearden-Josey practice in the growing Boiling Springs community 
• Continuing to provide Mobile Mammography Unit deployment and mammography screening to uninsured and underinsured patients through the Mammography Assistance Fund 

Wireless localization grant 

Traditionally, for women undergoing lumpectomies, a wire would be inserted into the mass or lesion within their breast as a guiding tool for surgery. The wire would extend outside of the woman’s breast after being inserted and remain there throughout the day until surgery.  

The method presented challenges with scheduling and discomfort, going from pre-op to the breast center and then back to pre-op before the lumpectomy, all while having a wire coming from the breast. 

“If a breast cancer patient has ever shared their story with you, the one part of their surgery experience that always comes up is the placement of the wire and the discomfort associated with having a wire sticking out of their breast. Our desire was to remove that traumatic part of their story,” said Stacey Williams, the director of the Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health. “Traditional wire placement is not something women look forward to.” 

Now, patients can receive a wireless localization reflector – a device about the size of a grain of rice – that goes into the tumor using ultrasound, mammogram, or MRI image guidance. The procedure is relatively pain-free and can be done days or even weeks before surgery. 

The surgeon activates the reflector during a lumpectomy to pinpoint the affected area. 

Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System is one of the few healthcare systems in South Carolina to use this technology and is the first in the Upstate to insert these reflectors under MRI guidance. 

Bearden-Josey received funds for the clinical training and equipment through the Pledge the Pink Foundation and a matching grant from the Spartanburg Regional Foundation. 

Nine months since implementation, this new procedure has benefited more than 200 breast cancer patients. 

Polly Edwards-Padgett, senior director of strategic philanthropy for the Foundation, said this investment significantly enhances the quality of care. 

“This technology allows for more accurate tumor localization, reducing the need for repeat surgeries and improving overall patient experience,” she said. 

 Spartanburg Regional Foundation’s Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health Fund 

With the Upstate’s thriving economy and population growth, more patients are taking advantage of the services offered through the Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health. 

The Boiling Springs community of Spartanburg County has seen tremendous growth, and data confirmed the need for additional services. 

The newest Bearden-Josey location opened in April through the generous support of Spartanburg Regional Foundation. This facility has been close to or at capacity with patient appointments since opening. 

“The location started filling up by June,” Williams said. “With all that growth and so much in Boiling Springs, it made sense to provide that service in the community where we serve patients.” 

The new facility – Bearden-Josey’s ninth location – is housed within the Medical Group of the Carolinas – Carolina Piedmont Obstetrics & Gynecology – Boiling Springs practice off Highway 9. The center now provides mammograms and bone density testing to women, closer to home. 

The Spartanburg Regional Foundation has provided $600,000 to make this expansion a reality. 

Mammography Assistance Fund 

With the help of Spartanburg Regional Foundation fundraising and strategic philanthropic efforts, Bearden-Josey has used the Mammography Assistance Fund to provide free mammograms to women without insurance or who are underinsured. 

This life-saving screening tool is the first step toward detecting breast cancer at an early stage and fighting against it. 

“Mammograms save lives,” Williams said. 

The funds have allowed women to undergo mammograms who ordinarily would not have sought one due to financial barriers. 

Bearden-Josey also has two mobile mammography units that can travel anywhere screening is needed to eliminate transportation barriers. 

“October is a wonderful time to reflect on the importance of healthcare philanthropy to advance health and improve access to care,” Edwards-Padgett said. 

For more information on Bearden-Josey’s efforts toward breast health, visit SpartanburgRegional.com/breast-health.  

To donate to the Mammography Assistance Fund or Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health Fund, visit RegionalFoundation.com/donate-now.