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One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. And here in Florida, female breast cancer is the most frequently occurring cancer site for women. To encourage more women to take action for their breast health this October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Venice Regional Bayfront Health’s Women’s Breast Institute located at the Venice HealthPark, is opening its doors for an open house on October 11 from 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. Women and girls of all ages are invited to attend the free event and hear from a physician panel, speak with mammogram technologists and a breast health nurse navigator, and learn about all of the services available at the Venice HealthPark, including 3D mammography. Event goers will also have the opportunity to purchase a Venice Firefighters’ 2018 “Fight Cancer with Fire” Breast Cancer Awareness t-shirt. The Women’s Breast Institute is a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence designation by the American College of Radiology. Thanks to early detection and treatment advances, more women are surviving breast cancer and living longer, healthier lives. The most effective way to detect breast cancer at an early, treatable stage is to have yearly mammograms starting at the age of 40, and to have regular clinical breast exams performed by a doctor or nurse. For women of average risk, the American Cancer Society recommends annual mammograms for ages 45-54, and screening every two years for women 55 and up. Different guidelines apply to women at higher risk. A screening mammogram can help detect breast cancer in its earliest and most treatable stages. To register for the free October Women’s Health Open House, call 855-876-2362 or visit veniceregional.com and click on ‘Events.’ About Venice Regional Bayfront Health Venice Regional Bayfront Health is a 312-bed, acute care hospital providing a comprehensive array of health care services to the greater Venice area. Venice Regional, and its affiliated Gulf Coast Medical Group clinics, provide high quality health care that is accessible to residents and visitors across Central and South Sarasota County. The hospital’s services include cardiac, stroke, orthopedic, metabolic, open-heart and advanced surgery, wound care, women’s care and interventional radiology. Venice Regional is nationally recognized through awards, certifications and accreditations in multiple service areas, including Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers Gold Seal of Approval® by The Joint Commission for seven consecutive years; American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for both Stroke; U.S. News & World Report 2016-2017 Best Hospital in Heart Failure, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Hip Replacement and Knee Replacement; Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence accreditation by Surgical Review Corporation and the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program; Blue Distinction Center+ for Bariatric Surgery Designation by Florida Blue; and Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology. Venice Regional is one of only three in Florida among 52 hospitals with lowest readmission rates for patients treated for pneumonia, according to a report by Becker’s Hospital Review based on CMS Hospital Compare data. Additionally, Venice Regional had the lowest readmission rate in South Florida for Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with a Drug-Eluting Stent between 2013-2016, according to Dexur.