A Trusted Doctor, a Mammogram, and Care That Stayed Connected

Kathy Strothcamp began volunteering in the Missouri Baptist Sullivan Hospital gift shop soon after she retired. She had moved back to Sullivan, Missouri, after spending most of her career in St. Louis. She wanted to give back to the community she always considered home.

“Volunteering puts you in the heart of things," Kathy, 78, says. "You know what’s going on locally, not just with the hospital, but with the people. And it just makes you feel good."

Today, Kathy's volunteering represents something more. It's how she says thanks to her hometown hospital for putting her on the path to lifesaving care before she knew she needed it.

After timely advice from her primary care doctor at Missouri Baptist Sullivan led to an early diagnosis of breast cancer, Kathy benefited from the advanced cancer treatment made possible by the BJC HealthCare connection between Missouri Baptist Sullivan and Missouri Baptist Medical Center (MBMC) in St. Louis.

“From Sullivan to St. Louis and back again, my care was a complete circle," she says.

Advice from a trusted doctor

For 17 years, Jennifer Barbin, MD, an internal medicine physician at Missouri Baptist Sullivan Hospital, has been Kathy’s primary care doctor. During that time, Dr. Barbin's expertise and warmth earned Kathy's trust.

After turning 77, Kathy wondered if it was necessary to continue receiving mammograms considering her age and lack of family history of breast cancer. She asked Dr. Barbin for advice.

Dr. Barbin reviewed Kathy's medical history and reminded Kathy that a mammogram was covered by her insurance. She suggested that Kathy continue with the annual screening. Kathy agreed.

"Guidelines help guide breast cancer screening, but they don't replace personalized care," Dr. Barbin says. "When I talk with patients, we look at the whole picture, including their overall health, activity level, personal preferences, and whether they would want treatment if cancer were found. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. In Kathy's case, she was active, her health conditions were well managed, and she wanted to know if something needed attention. The mammograms she received in the past did not bother her. Together, we decided that continued screening still made sense for her."

Their conversation reflects why relationships between doctors and their patients are important. Mammograms are the best way to find breast cancer early, often up to two years before a lump can be felt, and when breast cancer is caught at an early, localized stage, treatment is most effective. The American Cancer Society recommends that women have the option to screen every year beginning at age 40. For women 75 and older, like Kathy, experts recommend a personal conversation with a doctor about whether to continue—exactly the conversation Kathy had with Dr. Barbin.

"I've been taking Dr. Barbin's advice for almost two decades," Kathy says. "I did it again. And I'm glad I did."

How BJC HealthCare can connect  

The mammogram that Dr. Barbin recommended Kathy receive at Missouri Baptist Sullivan identified an area of concern, and Kathy returned to the hospital for a follow-up that included a tele-consult with breast cancer experts at MBMC in St. Louis.

MBMC brings specialized breast expertise to patients across the St. Louis region. Through BJC HealthCare, patients from communities like Sullivan can access those specialists when needed while also remaining close to the local care teams they know and trust.

Everyone on Kathy's care team agreed that an ultrasound at Missouri Baptist Sullivan Hospital would be the correct next step. That ultrasound also indicated the presence of a mass.

A biopsy—a procedure that removes a small sample of tissue to examine under a microscope—would determine if the mass was cancerous. Due to the depth of the mass, the biopsy needed to take place at MBMC.

Within two days, Kathy had an appointment at MBMC. A nurse navigator at MBMC scheduled everything and guided her through each step, so the process of traveling from Sullivan to St. Louis for care never felt overwhelming or stressful.

Kathy's care teams in Sullivan and St. Louis were able to move quickly because both hospitals are part of BJC HealthCare. Instead of starting over with a new provider who was unfamiliar with her story, Kathy remained connected with doctors who could share information and coordinate next steps, starting with the biopsy.

"The people we care for are our neighbors, friends, and family members, and they deserve exceptional care close to home," says Lisa Lochner, president of Missouri Baptist Sullivan Hospital. "Being part of BJC HealthCare means we can continue providing the hometown care our community trusts while helping patients access specialized expertise, advanced treatments, and leading-edge care when they need it."

Kathy's biopsy revealed invasive ductal carcinoma, the most common type of breast cancer. Because her cancer was found early, doctors could schedule Kathy's surgery before the disease spread, and she avoided chemotherapy and radiation.

Surgery, and the road home

G. Paul Yazdi, MD, a BJC Medical Group surgeon, performed surgery to remove the cancer, a 4-centimeter mass, at MBMC. The procedure was a success. The mass was Stage 1, and it came back with clear margins, meaning there was no cancerous tissue left after the removal of the mass.

Kathy's only required medication after surgery is an estrogen-blocking pill that she will take for five years. These medications, a form of hormone therapy, work by stopping the hormone estrogen from fueling the growth of cancer cells, which helps lower the chance the cancer returns.

After surgery, most of Kathy's care returned close to home at Missouri Baptist Sullivan, including follow-up visits with Jason Li, MD, her oncologist.

Kathy appreciated the organization and collaboration both Missouri Baptist Sullivan Hospital and MBMC displayed while working together during her care. Her doctors, her nurse navigator, and the MyChart patient portal kept her informed and aware of every appointment and next step, including the follow-up care she receives to this day. Meanwhile, she is back to volunteering in the gift shop, with an even greater appreciation for her hometown hospital and its BJC HealthCare connections.

“I’m very lucky that Dr. Barbin told me to go ahead and keep getting mammograms,” Kathy says. “If this had gone unnoticed for two or three years, I could have been in a completely different situation today."

If you're due for a mammogram or have questions about breast cancer screening, talk with your primary care provider. Schedule a mammogram at Missouri Baptist Sullivan Hospital or find a provider.