St. John’s Episcopal Hospital unveils its new
state-of-the-art 3D mammography machine
Less than 1 percent of vaccinated New Yorkers have been
infected with COVID-19 since January, city data reveals
BY KEVIN DUGGAN
An infinitesimal number
of New Yorkers who received
the COVID-19 vaccine have
tested positive for the virus,
while almost all people
hospitalized with the illness
had not received their shots,
according to new city Health
Department data announced
last week.
“Here’s the commonsense
bottom line: vaccines keep
you alive and out of the hospital,”
said City Health Commissioner
Dr. Dave Chokshi
at Mayor Bill de Blasio’s daily
press briefing on Aug. 25.
Of fully vaccinated New
Yorkers, 0.33 percent were
diagnosed with the coronavirus,
0.02 percent were hospitalized
and 0.003 percent
died of the illness.
Meanwhile, 97 percent
of people hospitalized with
COVID are unvaccinated,
according to the Health Department
analysis.
“It makes clear that vaccines
continue to be extremely
effective,” de Blasio
said on Aug. 25. “Yes, there
are some breakthrough
cases, that’s true, but the
bottom line is the vaccine
overwhelmingly works on
things we care about the
most, which is stopping people
from being hospitalized,
stopping people from coming
TIMESLEDGER | Q 20 NS.COM | SEPT. 3 - SEPT. 9, 2021
up with the most severe
illnesses, and certainly,
most importantly, protecting
lives, stopping people
from losing lives to COVID.”
The Health Department
collected the data from January
through August, including
several months before
the more contagious delta
variant started to drive a
resurgence of cases in June.
Data from more recent
weeks show that unvaccinated
people are 13 times more
likely to end up in the hospital
with COVID compared to
inoculated people.
Those without the shot
are also three times more
likely to be infected in the
first place, according to
Chokshi.
“Although you might
have anecdotes about breakthrough
cases, let’s keep in
mind that the plural of anecdote
is not data,” the city’s
doctor said.
BY JENNA BAGCAL
A hospital in the Rockaways
recently installed new,
state-of-the-art equipment to
advance its approach to women’s
health care.
On Thursday, Aug. 18,
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital
(SJEH) unveiled its new
3D mammography machine
used to detect breast cancer.
The new technology helps
hospital clinicians to detect
breast cancer by allowing
them to see breast tissue
details more clearly and uncover
breast cancer that may
have been hidden in overlying
breast tissue.
According to the hospital,
SJEH is now home to the
singular and most advanced
mammography equipment in
the Rockaways.
Data New York City Department
of Health shows
that breast cancer is the leading
cause of premature death
among individuals under the
age of 65 on the Rockaway
Peninsula. Additionally, female
breast cancer rates in
the Rockaways are higher
than the overall rates in
Queens.
“This 3D mammography
machine will provide
us with the best breast imaging
available, and will
allow us to detect breast
cancer as early as possible.
Patient survival outcomes
are improved if breast cancer
is detected in its early
stage,” SJEH breast surgeon
Sharon Koehler said.
In comparison to traditional
2D mammography
machines, which can reportedly
produce unclear results,
false alarms or fail to detect
cancer at all, the 3D machines
like the one at SJEH,
enable clinicians to examine
breast tissues one layer at a
time by converting digital
breast images into a stack of
very thin layers for a radiologist
to review.
The hospital also revealed
that it is investing in a second
3D mammography machine
that will be housed at
the upcoming Margaret O.
Carpenter Women’s Health
Center, scheduled to open
in early 2022. The center
will also feature behavioral
health services, breast surgery,
gynecology and oncology,
imaging, maternal fetal
medicine, nutrition, OB-GYN
and urogynecology.
To schedule an appointment
for a 3D mammography
consultation with a St. John’s
OB-GYN call 718-869-7500.
Reach reporter Jenna
Bagcal by e-mail at
jbagcal@schnepsmedia.com
or by phone at (718) 260-2583.
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital’s new 3D mammography machine. Photo courtesy of SJEH
Photo by David ‘Dee’ Delgado/Reuters
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