Mayor Haslam participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday to open the new Knoxville Comprehensive Breast Center (KCBC) - one of the largest independent breast center facilities in the United States. The 39,054 square foot facility is one of the largest independent, freestanding breast cancer centers in the U.S. that is not affiliated with a hospital. It is located at 1400 Dowell Springs Boulevard, Suite 200, in the East Tennessee Healthcare Center which KCBC also co-founded.

Those participating in the ribbon cutting ceremony were as follows: Allison Mencer - WIVK, Lisa Duncan - Exec. Director of Dogwood Arts Festival, State Senator Tim Burchett, State Rep. Ryan Haynes, Jenny Stansberry - Rep. for Congressman John J. Duncan, Dwight Van De Vate - Knox County Chief of Staff, Mike Edwards - CEO and President of the Knoxville Chamber, Mayor Bill Haslam, and Dr. Kamilia Kozlowski - CEO and Medical Director of KCBC.

The new center offers everything women need for the screening, diagnosis and treatment of breast diseases all on one level, under one roof. To accommodate the high volume of patients, there are eight digital mammography screening rooms and ten ultrasound rooms. Three procedure rooms are available for stereo biopsies, mammosite insertion, excision of small lesions and port removals. A medical oncology suite exclusively for breast cancer patients is located in an adjacent building on the East Tennessee Healthcare Center campus.

KCBC has the only two Aurora dedicated breast MRI units in Knoxville which are designed exclusively to image a woman's breasts. They have a higher resolution than general body MRI units and deliver greater accuracy of the images. These specialized MRI units provide the thinnest slice thickness (1 mm) utilizing a proprietary spiral rodeo pulse sequence which can detect very small breast cancers not seen on mammograms or breast ultrasound.

A new feature is a boutique that caters to breast cancer survivors. It will sell a variety of items such as wigs, prostheses, bras, swimsuits and other fashion items.

"We average over 20,000 mammograms per year and offer every aspect of breast cancer diagnosis and care on site, except for surgery," said Dr. Kamilia Kozlowski, CEO and Medical Director of KCBC. "The expansion will provide our patients with a larger and more comfortable atmosphere with easier access to all of our services. KCBC continues to offer the most advanced technology available to better diagnose breast cancer."

The team of Board Certified physicians has also grown. There are five Clinical Breast Radiologists who specialize only in breast diseases. There are two Dedicated Breast Surgeons who utilize the most advanced surgical techniques. Other staff includes two Breast Oncology Nurses, six Breast Nurse Specialists who are certified as Clinical Breast Examiners, twelve Mammography Technologists who are certified by the American Registry of Radiological Technologists and two High Risk Coordinators.

Dr. Kozlowski founded Knoxville Comprehensive Breast Center on May 1, 1983. She had only one mammography technologist and a business manager in a 1,500 square foot office. Twenty-six years later it has grown to 65 employees in a 39,054 square foot office.

At KCBC you don't need a referral, just an appointment. Call 865-584-0291 or 800-456-8169 to schedule a mammogram, or visit www.knoxvillebreastcenter.com.