Mammographer Colleen Curcio was getting ready to see a patient at Ella Health’s Toms River center when she was called to the front desk.
She was surprised to find a woman in tears. The woman had been to the center just a few weeks prior for a screening exam. She explained that after that exam, she was called back for more tests, which revealed she had cancer.
“She told me that her doctor said they found it because she had a 3D mammogram,” Colleen said. “She wanted to let us know that the exam had saved her life. She said she was getting treated and she was going to recover.”
“That’s why I am so committed to this job,” Colleen said. “I know what a difference we can make in people’s lives.”
Colleen said she wants every woman who comes to Ella Health to feel that she gets the special attention and care she deserves.
“Women shouldn’t be made to feel that they’re just a number,” she said. “I like that we can take the time to talk to our patients and make sure they feel relaxed. I like that we can hand them a warm robe and give them a key to a private dressing room.”
It’s the small things that really make a difference, she said. Like talking with them about their plans for the day, or finding out what they like to do with their grandchildren.
“We like to make that personal connection with our patients because they are important,” she said. “And if they feel that this is a place where they can be comfortable, they’re more likely to want to come back and get a mammogram every year so they can know what’s going on with their health. And when they do, that’s when I know I’m doing my job well.”
Ella Health 