Bonney Love Traylor
Bonney Traylor encourages others who are at high-risk for breast cancer to visit HCA Virginia's high-risk clinic during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Both Henrico Doctors’ Hospital and Johnston-Willis Hospital are treating patients who are identified as high-risk for breast cancer. Early detection is the best prevention, and at the Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute, patients are greeted with compassionate care that helps them decide what treatment options are best for them. The care team includes medical oncologists, genetic counselors, and nurse navigators who are there for patients every step of their journey.
Bonney Traylor was identified as high-risk because of her family history, and she said she jumped at the chance to visit the clinic. Her maternal grandmother had breast cancer, and while Traylor received a negative diagnosis, she convinced her sister to make an appointment as well. She said she hears tragic stories of people not finding out they have cancer until stage two or three, and she wants as many people as possible to know about the HCA Virginia clinic.
“It saves lives, there is no doubt about it,” Traylor said. “I’m a huge proponent. Most women don’t take enough precautionary measures, and these patients like myself with dense breasts, if they have something, it may or may not be caught by a 3D mammogram. I’m glad I’m high-risk because I’m all about being identified earlier.”
The HCA Virginia facilities have a special process that is not seen at other healthcare providers in the area. Patients are identified in the imaging center and then they are educated about their high-risk status and given the option to meet with geneticists and/or a high-risk provider. One thing that sets HCA Virginia apart is that the nurse navigators have a clinical background. It is a team approach with everyone from the nurse navigators to the patient’s primary care physician or gynecologist collaborating. It is a true #CareLikeFamily approach to patient care.