New Liberty Hospital Breast Care Center Opens in June

To accommodate a growing need for comprehensive breast care in Kansas City’s Northland and Northwest Missouri, Liberty Hospital plans to open a larger, state-of-the-art Breast Care Center on the second floor of its Medical Plaza East building in mid-June 2021.

Women helping women is truly powerful - Dr. Amy Patel

Located two floors above the current space, the Breast Care Center will double the size and capacity of women’s imaging and provide routine mammograms as well as complex, high-risk care. The Breast Care Center will feature leading-edge technology such as the only artificial intelligence for breast ultrasound in Kansas City.

The center’s team of experts will expand to include a second specialty-trained breast radiologist, a breast reconstruction specialist, and a genetic counselor. The addition of Colton McNichols, MD, who will open The Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery Center at Liberty Hospital in August, will allow for reconstruction care on site. The team is joined by fellowship-trained breast surgeon Elizabeth Butler, MD, of Saint Luke’s Cancer Institute at Liberty Hospital, who sees patients in the same building as the Breast Care Center.

“This expansion is a step toward meeting the growing need for high-quality breast care in a caring environment,” said David Feess, hospital president and CEO. “We are bringing together specialty-trained experts and introducing state-of-the-art equipment that will allow for accurate diagnosis and earlier detection of breast cancer.”

Breast radiologist and Medical Director of the Breast Care Center Amy Patel, MD, said, “Compared to other states, Missouri has a high rate of breast cancer deaths, and our team at Liberty Hospital wants to change that.”

Designed with warm aesthetics and comfort in mind, the new Breast Care Center will feature a welcoming environment for those who come for an annual mammogram or more. Women who require additional screening or treatment will be partnered with a nurse navigator who will provide guidance, a personalized plan and support.

In a first for the region, Liberty Hospital recently partnered with breast cancer survivors to offer a unique support program for breast cancer patients in a one-on-one vs. group setting. Survivors volunteer to be paired with newly-diagnosed women to provide hope, reassurance and answers to questions. “Women helping women is truly powerful,” Dr. Patel said.

The Breast Care Center will be located in Suite 206 of the Medical Plaza East building at Liberty Hospital. The facility features easy access from east and west entrances and free parking. For more information or to schedule a routine mammogram, visit libertyhospital.org/breast or call 816-792-7089.

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story