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Dr. Fredstrom receives
national breast
screening certification
Named LifeCare’s Medical
Director of Women’s
Health
Only six
months into
her practice
as a member
of the
medical
staff at
LifeCare
Medical
Center, Dr.
Rene
Fredstrom
has made
some
exciting
achievements.
In
addition to
being named
Medical
Director of
Women’s
Health
Services at
LifeCare,
she recently
became an
officially
certified
member of
the National
Consortium
of Breast
Centers.
Dr.
Fredstrom
received her
certification
after
successfully
completing a
challenging
set of
instruction
and testing
in Las
Vegas,
Nevada.
The certification process, she says, consisted of two full days of
instruction
followed by
a day of
testing. The
testing was
divided into
three parts.
First, was a
written exam
based on
general
breast
cancer
knowledge.
This was
followed by
an
examination
of silicone
models, a
test in
which the
candidate
must locate
any tumors
concealed
inside the
silicone
model. The
exam would
end abruptly
if the
candidate
performed
more than
two errors
during this
phase of
testing.
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Dr. Rene
Fredstrom, who
joined the
LifeCare medical
staff in
October,
practices family
medicine at the
clinic and
serves as
Medical Director
of Women’s
Health Services. |
For the third part of
the exam, candidates
examined live patients
and were critiqued on
how well they gathered
information, as well as
their exam technique and
the treatment plan they
developed.
“Varying levels of certification are available depending on how many
sections the candidate
completes successfully,”
says Dr. Fredstrom, who
passed all three with
flying colors.
A Need for
Certification
According to Dr.
Fredstrom, a
national standard
for breast
examination did not
exist prior to the
National Consortium
of Breast Centers,
which established
its certification
training
approximately eight
years ago.
“Techniques and
exams varied across
the country.
Therefore extensive
research was
conducted to put
together this
national standard of
care,” she says.
Recertification
with the National
Consortium of Breast
Centers must be done
every year, and
testing on a live
model every 3
years.
Women’s Health at
LifeCare
As LifeCare’s
first Director of
Women’s Health
Services, Dr.
Fredstrom sees a
golden opportunity
to share the
potentially
life-saving
information she has
received.
Dr. Fredstrom
will share her
knowledge and
technique with RN’s
Marilyn Novacek and
Marianne Erickson,
who perform all
breast exams during
the Women’s Health
Breast Screening
Clinics, which are
held several times a
month in the new
Women’s Health area
at LifeCare.
She is also
extremely interested
in educating women
through churches,
women’s groups, and
other local
organizations.
Dr. Fredstrom
encourages women to
be comfortable in
talking about breast
exams.
“Most of us in
this part of the
country are
Scandinavian, and we
tend to shy away
from certain
discussions, but
this is too
important for people
to avoid,” she says.
If interested in
inviting Dr.
Fredstrom to speak
to your group,
please contact Dawn
Hedlund, Wellness
Coordinator at
LifeCare Medical
Center at (218)
463-4773.
Sage Screening
Program provides
free health exams to
qualifying women
Here’s good news
and a reminder
for women age 40
or over
If you’re a
Minnesota
resident and
meet certain
income criteria,
you may qualify
for free
mammograms and
pap screenings.
Thanks to the
Sage Screening
Program, these
women now have
no reason to not
receive this
important
testing, says
Shar Peterson,
Director of
Imaging at
LifeCare Medical
Center.
“Even with
all the current
information
about female
related cancers
and the
importance of
early detection,
there are many
women who do not
receive their
annual
mammogram,”
Peterson says.
“Hopefully this
will help change
that.”
Started in
1991, the
state-funded
Sage Screening
Program provides
free screening
and follow-up
services for
those who are
uninsured or
underinsured.
Since then, over
110,000 women in
need of breast
and cervical
cancer screening
have been
helped.
Additionally,
the program
works to
increase
awareness among
health care
professionals as
well as educate
women about the
importance of
regular
screenings.
Women can
take part if
they are age 40
or over, have no
insurance,
insurance that
doesn’t cover
pap test or
mammograms and
meet income
guidelines.
Women are
encouraged to
ask about the
program when
scheduling an
appointment.
They may also
visit the
program’s
website:
www.mnsage.com
or call
888-634-2584.
To make an
appointment,
please call
LifeCare at
(218) 463-4753.
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