TESTIMONIALS
Coming up on three years (5/1) from my CA diagnosis, I continue to have profound respect for you and your team at MBC. You continue to stay "in front" of WRT technology (Dillon 6800) and always offer quality care. My thanks again, I got to see my grandson Michael born and now he is 8 months old. Warmly, --Maryann Penza, 2/2010
Dear Dr. Elliott, Thank you and your wonderful staff for always helping to make a "stressful" experience as calming and caring as possible. Several years ago I urged my daughter (Susan Tobias) to come to MBC for her mammogram exam. This year we were able to schedule our appointments at the same time (Feb. 8th). She required an ultrasound and I was there to wait it through with her. Fortunately, we both received "OK" reports. I was sorry to learn of your own need for treatment but so pleased that you are doing well. You look great (we greeting in passing). Your cheerful office and wonderful staff help so much in caring for us. Best wishes always. --Ruth, 2/10/2010 Very Special Work Dear Dr. Elliott and Staff, I cannot tell you enough how grateful I am to have had the fortunate experience to be seen by you and your staff for my first complete breast exam. My visit was nothing but lovely. Your facility is gorgeous and everyone was so warm and made me so at ease. I felt like I was at a spa! You and your team are doing very special work--and you do it so well! Thank you for everyting and I wish you all the best! --Jennifer Chaky The Compassion that Shines Dear Dr. Heller-Savoy, Thank you so much for all the time you spent with me yesterday. I appreciate your professionalism, respect and thoroughness. Mostly, it is the compassion that shines. --Maureen C., 10/21/09 Dr. Hertz Cares Dr. Hertz has been a physician who cares. Over the years, I have had some problems and she has always calmed me and reassured me. I always feel comfortable with her because she speaks to me as a person, not just as a patient. Having a breast exam is not an easy experience but it is made better by Dr. Hertz's bedside manner. --Frances Hitson; West Paterson, NJ The Feeling of Wellbeing My doctor is kind! She is always complimentary and tells me how great I look, even when I don't!! Dr. Hertz is great at explaining everything to me and is also not an alarmist, which I love! She is knowledgeable and listens to my concerns. I feel she is very empathetic with her patients, at least to me. She is open minded about holistic health. She is sweet. I like her very much. Knowledge is extrememly important, but so is attitude and the feeling of wellbeing. --Maureen Groft; Punta Gorela, FL Most Appreciative... Thank you so much for all your kindness during a most stressful time for myself and my family. We are most appreciative of your wonderful care. Fondly, --Betty H., 6/26/09
To know that such a caring professional team is there for me as well as for others is something I will always keep in mind when fear and anxiety suddenly creep in on me. --JB; Bridgewater, CA I want to thank you for being professionals of the world! From the moment I managed, a nervous wreck, to find my way upstairs the experience was wonderful. Never have I met a more caring and gentle group of individuals starting with the receptionist and ending with the billing department. Thank You. --NC; Clifton , NJ Your office staff is friendly and truly caring. You took the time to talk to me after my exam and I felt that I had your full attention. We could stay and talk as long as needed. --LA; Springfield , NJ My visit to your office was made pleasant and relaxing due to all of you. You eased my anxieties and all of my fears. Since I am a nurse, I think you deserve recognition for how well your patients are treated. --ST; Bloomfield , NJ
It’s never too late to thank you for the wonderful and caring help you gave to me and my worried family during my battle with bilateral breast cancer. Never did I think when I went to St. Barnabas for my routine mammogram that I at the age of 81 would be a victim of breast cancer. After finding a suspicious lesion in my right breast, the hospital suggested a needle biopsy. That’s when I decided to consult a specialist. The Montclair Breast Center was the right place at the right time to see me through my ordeal. The loving care and personal attention that the surgeon and the staff exhibited to me and my family was half the battle. After a very thorough examination they not only found the one lesion to be malignant, but they also found another lesion in my other breast. Together with the plastic surgeon everything was so well explained to us that I was relaxed enough to take a vacation to Hawaii before undergoing surgery. Today, a year after surgery and breast reconstruction, I feel and look great, thanks to two wonderful surgeons and human beings. --Geedy, 6/09, Verona, NJ You Did Nothing Less than Save My Life You did nothing less than save my life... My heartfelt thanks and gratitude for all you have done for me. I have been so impressed by the professionalism of your office--everythng about my experience (except the reason for being there) was positive! Without the support you provided I could never have gotten through this. Please know that you do among the most important work in the world!! I hope that I can assist you in some small way in the future. With love and gratitute, --Janet, 6/26/09 Thank you seems inadequate for my expression of gratitude to you for saving my life, but it is from the bottom of my heart. --LW; Little Falls, NJ Our Family Was Treated with Such Compassion Dear Dr. Hertz and Staff, We want to take this opportunity to thank you all for the wonderful experience our mother and father, Bill and Jeanne Booth, had at your center. Our family was treated with such compassion and concern during our Mom's recent procedure. From the moment we walked in, the staff was both friendly and professional to us all. Thank you on behalf of our parents for being so genuinely caring and attentive to each one of us. You're all truly angels on Earth! Fondly, --Jeanne and Bill's daughters, Andrea, Deborah and Caren, 6/10/09
What can I say--you're the BEST! Thank you for being so kind, caring and patient with me. I know there are patients that are going through surgeries 100 times worse than mine but having you by our side helped us get through the pain and anxiety. All the warmth that you and your entire staff gave to me will never be forgotten. Thank you, again. --Rose Marie G., 2/25/09
Hello, I just wanted to write a message about my experience at MBC. I first started going to see Dr. Elliot in November of 2007. That was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Dr. Elliott suggested I be screened for the BRACA gene since I am of Ashkenazi descent and my mother had breast cancer. I was initially frightened....what would it mean if I tested positive? Would I have to lose my breasts? But Dr. Elliott said she would just add yearly MRI's to my rotating sonogram and mammogram schedule. Wow! I took the test right then and there! Why NOT find out? Dr. Elliott EMPOWERED me--she made me see that I didn't have to be afraid of the facts--no matter what those facts were---we would just become even MORE PROACTIVE in my care! She was positive and forthright---and strong! That day changed my life and I am grateful to Dr. Elliott for her incredible empowering attitude !
When my sister asked me what to do (the reading radiologist had seen “something” on her mammogram and suggested she wait 3 months and repeat the test) . . . I knew exactly what she should do. Thank you so much for seeing her so quickly and for not just treating her but for taking care of her. I know that she was probably the very least problematic of your patients that day, but she told me how much time you spent with her explaining what she needed to know and making her feel confident with your assessment. I'm so grateful that you're right here in our own backyard. I've always suggested to friends and family that they seek the very best they can find for their medical care. That often means going to New York for serious or complicated situations. I was so glad I could send my sister to you, knowing that she would receive that same level of expertise. --LK & PK; Westfield , NJ A Few Words about Us from Patients Like You [Written to a local mammography facility; copied to Dr. Elliott] I am a forty-plus year old female engineer (working outside the home) and mother of three children who, over the last several years, has had issues with my mammograms. Specifically, the radiologist has visualized small concentrations of calcium deposits. Additionally, my breast tissue has been described as being very "dense." I was originally having my mammograms and all of my breast care done by [your facility]. Over the last 2-3 years I have transitioned my care to the Montclair Breast Center and Dr. Nancy Elliott. There were two reasons for this and I want to bring them to your attention. The first reason was that [your facility's] process required too many steps--too much time on my part to accomplish the annual or semi-annual exam. The second reason was that I feel an ultrasound of my breasts should be done concurrently with the mammogram. This was not consistently being done at [your facility]. But let me address the first issue--as an engineer would--with a summarization of the steps to achieving my annual or semi-annual mammogram at [your facility].
The multitude of tasks involved in the process at [your facility] is unacceptable in my opinion. Additionally, there is the added stress of waiting for further testing, test results and the breast surgeon consults. In contrast, the procedure with the Montclair Breast Center is simple.
Of note, in the engineering world it is always better to design any process with fewer steps--because fewer steps present less opportunity for an error, or any errors are detected faster. There are two downsides to the Montclair Breast Center (MBC), both of which I find palatable. The first downside is the 70 minute drive up to Montclair for the visit. The second down side is the cost and their lack of accepting medical insurance. I do personally complete the insurance forms and receive 70% of my cost after a $500 deductible. I rationalize this because of the added peace of mind of not waiting for results--and MBC's high early detection rates. The second issue as I said was the inconsistency of the ultrasound at [your facility]. It is my understanding that a large percentage of cancer cells are not found in dense breasts during a mammogram because the mammography is more difficult to read with a denser breast. It is also my understanding that the dense breasts are more prone to develop cancer and therefore an annual ultrasound is warranted. I was not receiving annual ultrasounds at [your facility]. I use [your facility] for almost all of my other care. You are convenient and your patient relations are very good. I hope that you look at the model of care presented by the Montclair Breast Center and try to emulate it. I have no plans on returning to [your facility] for my mammography care. I appreciate your time to read my concerns. C.J.J., August 23, 2008 Thank you for your kindness, patience and caring attitude and making our difficult time a little easier. --MG & LM; Hillside , NJ It means so much to have a wonderful doctor who will do everything and anything to make you feel that you are first of all loved and truly cared about and secondly going to be just fine. --ND; Cranford , NJ Not only do you deliver the best medical attention, but you do it with unlimited patience and generosity of spirit. --VS; Upper Montclair , NJ You have been so caring and compassionate which really helped me tremendously. I have been richly blessed in having you as my Doctor. --DS; West Caldwell , NJ You have always been there. Always with a compassionate hug, definitive comprehensive information, and a staff that I felt treated me as though I was their only patient. --NK; Montvale , NJ I chose you for my surgeon because I wanted to be a person with a face and not just a number. I didn't want to go to NYC and with your skills I didn't have to. --JB; Montvale , NJ You and your staff exuded dependability, thoroughness, and confidence, which in turn, certainly put me at ease and gave me the ability to really “zero in” on my ultimate decision. --NM; Montclair , NJ Your kindness and compassion was more than a doctor/patient relationship – your heart was truly there- and I felt it. You held my life in your hands and I could not have felt any safer. --MG; Towaco , NJ A simple thank you is just not enough… the effort you put into helping your patients make the best of a difficult situation. Montclair Breast Center has it all. I feel very fortunate to be one of your grateful patients. --DM; Short Hills , NJ Your wonderful care and compassion, wise advice, and spirit of optimism gave me the confidence to take me through my operation and recovery. --PH; Essex Fells, NJ Your skill and expertise perfectly blended with tender loving care, personal attention, and consideration in every way make all the difference over the past months. --MV; Wayne , NJ From Day 1, you all have guided me through the most difficult time in my life. Your kindness and compassion have meant the world to my husband and me. Dr. Elliot, I will never forget the day of my surgery how you came and walked me to the OR and held my hand until I was asleep. Thank You for being the wonderful doctor you are! --KI; Cedar Grove , NJ I just wanted to send you this short note to thank you for your loving and caring and for making me well. I have such trust in your judgment and abilities and I would not have wanted any other physicians to perform my surgery. I also want to thank you for surrounding yourself with living Angels. Moira and Stephanie were wonderful to me as well as the rest of your staff. Not every doctor would be as wonderful as you are, nor would they bring me “Starbucks”! I am eternally grateful to you for my early detection and surgery. --DB; Glen Ridge , NJ A simple thank you is just not enough...the effort you put into helping your patients make the best of a difficult situation is applauded. From the expertise of the doctors to the caring, professional support staff down to the attractive cover-ups (I found one to match my jeans) and the diverse selection of reading materials, the MBC has it all. I feel very fortunate to be one of your grateful patients. --MAD; Bloomfield , NJ |
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In the Best of Hands
Combining Skills and Kindness
We Found You 11 Years Ago
The Most Professional, Most Talented and Sweetest team
My Journey
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Dear Nancy,
