Risk Assessment and Genetic Counseling Clinic Opens

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., February 20, 2017 On Feb. 20, Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in Daytona Beach opened the Genetic Counseling and Cancer Risk Screening Clinic.

This is the only location in the area with a nurse practitioner available on site to assess a patients risk of possessing a hereditary component that could cause cancer. Without this clinic, patients would need to travel to Jacksonville, West Palm Beach or Orlando.

Generally speaking, approximately 5-10 percent of all cancers are hereditary. These cancers are caused by a broken or mutated gene that is passed down in families from one generation to the next.

At Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Centers Genetic Counseling and Cancer Risk Screening Clinic, a nurse practitioner works with patients who have either been diagnosed with cancer or have a strong history of cancer, and are considering genetic testing. Some of the benefits of genetic testing include:

• Provide cancer risk estimates
• Identify a familys cause of cancer
• Help families make medical and lifestyle decisions

Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center nurse practitioner Cindy Trawick underwent stringent training with the Division of Clinical Cancer Genetics at the City of Hope to learn the latest information on cancer molecular genetics, the fundamentals of obtaining an adequate family history, as well as the ethical and legal complexities of genetic testing.

Many insurance plans do cover genetic counseling and testing. Patients interested in undergoing genetic testing can ask their primary care physicians to refer them to Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Centers Genetic Counseling and Cancer Risk Screening Clinic. During an appointment, the nurse practitioner will gather a comprehensive, cancer-focused history for both the individual patient, as well as their family. The nurse uses this information to assess the patients risk of developing cancer and the risk for hereditary cancer. The nurse also educates the patient in a one-on-one setting about the various genetic testing options, as well as its risks and benefits. Through all of this, the nurse gives the patient personalized emotional, psychological, and social support when facing the decision of genetic testing.

The clinic is located inside Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Centers Cancer Institute at 224 Memorial Medical Pkwy., Daytona Beach. To learn more about the Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center Genetic Counseling and Cancer Risk Screening Clinic, call Call386-231-4026.

About Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center

Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center is a member of Adventist Health System, a faith-based health care organization with 46 hospital campuses and nearly 8,200 licensed beds in 10 states. Our locations include Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in Daytona Beach and Florida Hospital Oceanside in Ormond Beach, as well as outpatient facilities in Port Orange, Daytona Beach Shores and New Smyrna Beach. With 293-beds, Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center is one of the six Florida Hospitals in Volusia and Flagler counties that composes the Florida Hospital East Florida Region. As the largest hospital system in the area, the Florida Hospital East Florida Region has 923 beds and more than 6,000 employees. With a mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ, the Florida Hospital East Florida Region collectively contributed nearly $120 million in benefits in 2015 to the underprivileged, the community's overall health and wellness and spiritual needs, and capital improvements.