Memorial Hermann The Woodlands dedicates the Melissa Preston Breast Center

THE WOODLANDS, TX – The newly named and recently updated, renovated, and expanded breast center on the campus of Memorial Hermann The Woodlands received a dedication ceremony attended by community leaders, hospital staff, and the family and friends of the late Melissa Preston, for whom the center has been named.

“The purpose of how we interact with patients here is to treat them like a member of our own family,” said Justin Kendrick, senior vice president and CEO of Memorial Hermann The Woodlands. “This center is about touching lives and offering hope, a cross between advanced medical care and heartfelt care.”

Anne Neeson, the executive vice president and CEO of the Memorial Hermann Foundation, also spoke fondly of Maureen, who had gone through a heartwrenching cancer journey through the system. “It’s fitting that we start October – Breast Cancer Awareness Month – in honor of her. Not only are we calling it the ‘Month of Mo’ after her nickname, but also everyone coming through here will receive a special candle. The people who come to us here are at their most vulnerable, so we’re proud to be here to wrap our arms around them.”

Maureen’s son, Trey Brice, and his wife Jessica and family, were honored at the turnout of the dedication ceremony, and all that Maureen had done to continue to inspire, even after her passing, the 120 people a day who come to the clinic.

“She had a legacy of warmth, compassion, and generosity,” he told the assembled crowd. “We can take that legacy and bring it forward.”

Kim Koehn, associate vice president of philanthropy of the Memorial Hermann Foundation, talked with Woodlands Online about the foundation, the center’s history, and the Brice family’s role in it.

“The foundation’s priority is to raise money and facilitate passion from our donors in our community to support the priorities of the Memorial Hermann Health System and help us create healthier communities now and for generations to come,” she said. “Several years ago, our leadership in The Woodlands understood there was a need; the wait to get a diagnostic mammogram was too long. The community grows, and we must grow along with it. This facility is a level two trauma center, and the acuity of care that we can provide here is phenomenal. Memorial Hermann as a system diagnoses more cancer than anyone in our city, so we needed to expand this center for our community so more people could get in and more quickly.”

The impact of the namesake of the center was evident in Koehn’s voice. “Melissa Preston was such a tremendously dynamic person. She was a strong supporter of the ‘In the Pink of Health,’ which we’ll be celebrating the 25th anniversary of later this month, with millions of dollars raised for individuals going through a cancer journey. Trey and Jessica [Brice] generously gave a one-million dollar gift to help us make sure this could happen. They answered the call. We are so proud and honored to have this facility bear her legacy.”

Jeffrey Carey, regional director of the Operations Outpatient Imaging Division at Memorial Hermann, talked with Woodlands Online about some of the many services offered at the clinic.

“We initially offer screening mammograms for our patients. If there’s nothing, then they can come on an annual basis or have a bone density study that looks for osteoporosis, which sometimes occurs with bone loss as they get older. If something turns up in that initial mammogram, what we end up doing next could be a diagnostic mammogram, a breast ultrasound, a breast biopsy, or a breast MRI, depending on the needs. As the findings develop, we can actually address that diagnostic care,” he said.

The facility features state-of-the art equipment, dedicated staff, and even original artwork sole created by local and Texas artists.

The clinic works closely not only with the Memorial Hermann Medical Center mere steps away, but also the Canopy Cancer Survivorship Center, which is open to anyone going through a cancer journey no matter what healthcare system, and which offers products and services free of charge.

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