Adventist Health St. Helena Launches Breast Center

Breast Surgeon Dr. Charles Elboim to Serve as Medical Director

February 6, 2021 (St. Helena, Calif.)—Adventist Health St. Helena has launched a breast program to serve Napa Valley women with comprehensive breast care. Services at the St. Helena Center include women’s imaging, hereditary cancer screening, surgical consultation and personalized treatment. Charles Elboim, MD, FACS, a highly respected and experienced breast surgeon, will serve as the Breast Center’s medical director.

“We are proud to offer our community comprehensive breast health services with an exceptional team, the most advanced technology and a compassionate, patient-focused experience,” says Dr. Steven Herber, Adventist Health St. Helena president. “Dr. Elboim is a highly regarded leader in this field, and we are proud he has joined us to lead this new service.”

Dr. Elboim has joined Adventist Health St. Helena after decades of experience serving North Bay women. He is a compassionate and skilled breast surgeon, who specializes in oncoplastic surgery. He is known for focusing on education, empathy and preparing a personalized treatment plan for each patient. In addition, Dr. Elboim was the first to bring many innovative breast procedures to the North Bay, including stereotactic breast biopsies, sentinel lymph node dissection and oncoplastic breast surgery, all with a minimally invasive approach to help save the breast and minimize the extent of surgery whenever possible.

“In my many years of experience, I have learned how important it is to support women through their journey from diagnosis through to treatment and beyond,” Elboim says. “At the Adventist Health St. Helena Breast Center, we will focus on providing this support while also offering the most advanced clinical care available. Our goal is to empower women and provide them with the technology and expertise to have the best possible outcome.”

In addition to Dr. Elboim, the Breast Center physician team also includes radiologists Dr. Gina Midmore and Dr. Michael Martinucci and pathologist Dr. Kelli Chase. Together with Dr. Candace Westgate, an OB/GYN with additional certification in women’s genomics counseling, Kathleen Mott, a cancer genetics specialist and the medical and radiation oncologists at the Martin-O’Neil Cancer Center, this team works collaboratively to provide comprehensive breast health care from routine imaging to breast surgery and ongoing cancer treatment. Marlene Lennon, NP, breast nurse navigator, ensures patients receive well-coordinated care and works closely with primary care providers. She also offers patients one-on-one guidance and education.

The Breast Center also provides women with the most advanced imaging capability in the Napa Valley, all under one roof.
Our center’s technological highlight is the automated breast ultrasound system (ABUS); it is the only one of its kind in the Napa Valley. The improved ability to spot ultra-small abnormalities in dense breast tissue allows for the earliest possible detection of these cancers. Other technology includes standard breast ultrasound, 2D and 3D mammography, stereotactic biopsy system, and bone density screening. This center came to fruition from identifying a need in our community, raising 100% of the capital for construction and renovation of the site and equipment cost, through the generous community support through the St. Helena Hospital Foundation.

The Adventist Health St. Helena Breast Center is accepting patients for imaging or surgical consultation. The Center is located at 821 South St. Helena Highway in St. Helena. Learn more by calling 707-967-7550.