Monroe, La.- St. Francis Medical Center is very proud to announce that the Kitty DeGree Breast Health Center has been designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology (ACR). The Kitty DeGree Breast Health Center is the only center in North Louisiana and the second one in the state to have earned this honor.

The ACR recognizes breast imaging centers that have earned accreditation in all of the college’s voluntary breast-imaging accreditation programs and modules, in addition to the mandatory Mammography Accreditation Program. The ACR, headquartered in Reston, Va., is a national organization serving more than 32,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists.

The breast imaging services at the center are fully accredited in mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, breast ultrasound and ultrasound-guided breast biopsy. Peer-review evaluations are conducted in each breast imaging modality by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Those experts have determined that this facility has achieved high practice standards in image quality,
personnel qualifications, facility equipment, quality control procedures, and quality
In June of 2006, St. Francis opened the Kitty DeGree Breast Health Center at St.
Francis Medical Center-North. The Center offers services provided by an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals. Services include bone density testing, mammography, stereotactic biopsy, breast ultrasound and ultrasound-guided biopsy.

The Lymphedema Clinic provides therapy and compression garments for lymphedema
patients. Additionally, Breast MRI is available at St. Francis Medical Center-North. To
date, the center has performed more than 24,000 mammograms, 2,800 bone density
tests, 2,900 breast ultrasounds and 650 breast biopsies.

Through the vision of Mrs. Kitty DeGree, local philanthropist, the dedicated employees
and medical staff of St. Francis work with various partner agencies such as the Susan G.
Komen for the Cure and the American Cancer Society. The local chapter of the Susan
G. Komen for the Cure has a resource room and affiliate office located at the center that provides educational materials to the public. The American Cancer Society provides a monthly “Look Good, Feel Better” Program at the center free of charge to breast cancer Providing the highest quality care in an atmosphere that is compassionate and attentive to the patient and their family is what sets the center apart from others. This month, St. Francis will open Kitty DeGree Breast Health Imaging in the P&S Building, located at 312 Grammont Street, Suite 401 in Monroe.
This second location will allow St. Francis to provide screening mammography in another convenient setting.

We look forward to continuing the mission of extending our healing ministry to the
mothers, daughters, sisters, wives and friends throughout the region. To schedule an
appointment or for more information about the Kitty DeGree Breast Health Center and
its affiliates, please call 812-7465 (PINK) or visit our website at www.stfran.com.

St. Francis Medical Center is Northeast Louisiana’s only faith-based not-for-profit
healthcare provider. As part of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health
System, the mission of St. Francis Medical Center is to extend the healing ministry of
Jesus Christ to those most in need in our community. St. Francis Medical Center is
proud to be the largest medical center in Northeast Louisiana, as well as the largest
private employer in Ouachita Parish.