GEAUGA – University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center has received $300,000 from The William O. and Gertrude Lewis Frohring Foundation to establish the Frohring Breast Imaging Suite. The new suite, scheduled to open in Spring of 2009, will offer residents of Geauga and surrounding counties access to the area’s most advanced digital mammography system.
“Digital mammography is a major advance in breast cancer screening and women throughout Geauga County and beyond will have access to this powerful tool in the fight against breast cancer, thanks to the Frohring Foundation,” says Richard J. Frenchie, President of UH Geauga Medical Center. “We are thrilled to have this state-of-the-art technology to offer our patients within our renovated, patient-centered Breast Suite.”
Compared to traditional film mammography, digital mammography presents a number of benefits for doctors, hospitals, and, most importantly, patients. For women in general, digital mammograms are as good as traditional film mammograms for diagnosing cancer, but significantly better for women under age 50 and those with dense breasts. Additionally, the digital system allows for instant sharing of images from one UH facility to another for remote consultation with surgeons, oncologists or a patient’s primary care physician. Several other UH facilities, including UH Case Medical Center, have already converted to digital mammography.
The Frohring Breast Imaging Suite, will be integrated with the UH Ireland Cancer Center which has a satellite at Geauga Medical Center. The William O. and Gertrude Lewis Frohring Foundation was established in 1958 in Cleveland by chemist William. O. Frohring and his wife, Gertrude L. Frohring. The foundation, comprised of the children and grandchildren of William and Gertrude who reside in Geauga and Cuyahoga counties, supports health, education, and the arts primarily in Geauga, Lake, and Cuyahoga counties.
“We are proud to support Geauga Medical Center in bringing this critical service to Geauga County,” says Glenn Frohring, former member of the UH Geauga Medical Center Board of Directors and President of the Frohring Foundation. “Breast cancer has touched so many of us and improved screening can hopefully save more lives.”
A generous gift from The Frohring Foundation established The William O. Frohring Family Resource Center at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in 1995. Glenn Frohring’s father, William O. Frohring, was instrumental in creating the earliest infant formula at Rainbow. “The Frohring Foundation’s support of University Hospitals’ Vision 2010 strategic plan for enhancing leadership in breast health diagnostics for Geauga will not only secure superior care for patients in the far eastern reach of our health system,” stated Mr. Frenchie, “but, also the Frohring family’s legacy of care at UH for all time.”