Jessica Haff’s first thought when the doctor’s office called to request a follow-up appointment for further exams was, “I am too young to have breast cancer.” A 39-year-old nurse at Adventist Health Simi Valley, she felt her stomach tighten, aware of what the request for a follow-up appointment might mean. The result? An aggressive form of cancer was discovered after her routine annual mammogram at the Nancy Reagan Breast Center, which is owned and operated by Adventist Health Simi Valley.
Within a month of the mammogram appointment, Jessica underwent a lumpectomy and
double radical mastectomy and began chemotherapy. Each step of her treatment was designed by a team of physicians who focused on her needs as they selected each element of her care plan. Today, Jessica is 2 years in her journey to becoming cancer-free.
Breast cancer rates continue to increase in Ventura County, and shockingly, younger women like Jessica are being diagnosed.
“Breast screening services are more important than ever,” states Dr. Jenna Gharzeddine, Jessica’s primary care physician. “It is concerning that we are seeing and treating younger women for breast cancer. In order to meet the growing needs for early detection and screening, we will need to expand our capacity significantly.”
Adventist Health Simi Valley plans to do just that—to add new mammography and ultrasound rooms. The Nancy Reagan Breast Center opened 30 years ago, when Simi Valley was a much smaller community. While the center is fully equipped with 3-D mammography, ultrasound and DEXA-scanning equipment, along with excellent physicians, technicians and staff, the building needs to be expanded and renovated to meet the community’s growing need. Renovations to the center will add another mammography room and a new ultrasound room, improving scheduling options and helping more patients gain access to a trusted way to detect breast cancer.
Former first lady Nancy Reagan was the leader in breast health awareness when she went public with her own breast cancer diagnosis in 1987. In a routine annual mammogram her cancer was detected early and she chose to have a mastectomy. She remained cancer-free for 29 years until she passed in 2016 from natural age-related causes. In 1994, Mrs. Reagan gave her name to the newly opened breast center in Simi Valley owned by Adventist Health. Because of her revered name and high profile, she had an immense impact on bringing awareness to breast health and the need for consistent annual screenings. Adventist Health is proud to continue her legacy with the expansion and renovation of the center to be able to serve more women and families.
As a local, faith-based, not-for-profit hospital, Adventist Health Simi Valley is known for its personalized caring environment. Their mission,” Living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope,” is the foundation of their decisions to continually improve and prioritize patient care. Love is at the center of their culture and they express that love in their commitment to growing and improving the breast center. If you have been impacted by breast cancer and want to get involved, you can learn more about the center and our expansion here: https://simivalley.give.adventisthealth.org/.