The expected summer opening of the Conrad Breast Center on the third floor of Renown Specialty Hospital in South Meadows marks a new chapter in breast health and wellness for Northern Nevada residents. Courtesy
The expected summer opening of the Conrad Breast Center on the third floor of Renown Specialty Hospital in South Meadows marks a new chapter in breast health and wellness for Northern Nevada residents.
The Conrad Breast Center will be unlike any care center currently in the community, said Madeline Hardacre, oncology wellness physician at Renown Health. It will be a one-stop-shop for breast health and wellness, alleviating the often burdensome requirements of traveling to multiple destinations for physicians’ visits, diagnostic imaging, chemotherapy treatments, and related breast wellness and care.
“It is going to be a multidisciplinary comprehensive breast center,” Hardacre said. “We will have almost all needs regarding breast health under one roof.”
The Conrad Breast Center will feature state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging equipment, including 3D mammography, breast MRI and breast ultrasound, Hardacre said. It will also have a breast wellness center geared toward patients with a high genetic risk of developing breast and other types of cancers.
Renown’s breast surgical team will transition from different offices to a consolidated location, and breast-related surgical procedures will take place on the second floor of Renown Specialty Hospital.
“You will have radiology looking at the images, and the surgeons are right there too,” Hardacre said. “Our surgical suites are in the same building on the floor below. Our medical oncologists are providing care for breast cancer at the center, with chemotherapy infusion and pharmacy services as well.
“It was very fragmented, but now it will all be under one roof,” she added. “It allows us to treat patients in a more collaborative and comprehensive way, which is better for our community since everything will all be located in one center.”
The Conrad Breast Center was made possible in part by a $5 million grant in late 2023 from Jeanne and Raymond Conrad. Jeanne Conrad said in a statement that the two philanthropists share Renown’s vision of establishing advanced care options for the most difficult-to-treat cancer cases.
“Renown sees individuals from all walks of life,” she said. “We all have been impacted by breast cancer in some way, which is why we feel honored to create this legacy.”
Madeline HardacreBrian Erling, president and chief executive officer of Renown Health, said the organization’s mission of providing best-in-class care to Northern Nevadans is furthered by these types of philanthropic donations.
“Establishing the Conrad Breast Center within the William N. Pennington Cancer Institute will positively impact lives in our community for years to come,” Erling said. “Cancer does not discriminate, and Renown strives to create care environments that cater to all individuals. Our goal is to save lives and ensure better outcomes while keeping families together with convenient care options.”
Creation of the breast cancer center is also another step in the William N. Pennington Cancer Institute’s goal of establishing a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center in Northern Nevada.
“That NCI designation is a very long-term goal,” Hardacre said. “It’s for the top-tier nationally recognized cancer centers in the country, and not just for clinical care but also research. That is our ultimate goal.”
Breast cancer remains a global issue. According to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of New York City, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 14 seconds. In the U.S., about 320,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2025. Drilling down even further, Hardacre said that there is expected to be about 2,700 new cases of breast cancer diagnoses in Nevada this year, with about 300-500 of those occurring in Northern Nevada.
Certain related services, such as medical oncology and chemotherapy infusion services, will still be at the main hospital campus, Hardacre noted, though most breast-specific services will be housed in the new center.
Hardacre added the opening of the Conrad Breast Center is a strong example of a patient-centered care model.
“It’s a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach to care,” she said. “We will have all the breast cancer teams in one location. Many times patients are juggling multiple appointments, and for patients to just show up and know that all their needs will be met in that one location is a wonderful opportunity to provide very patient-focused care.”