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At the Hospitals
n Steven Limentani, MD, Announced as
Cancer Service Line Lead
Novant Health is pleased to announce the
selection of Steven Limentani, MD, as the
senior vice president of cancer services. In his
new role, Dr. Limentani leads the system service
line for cancer services, including hematology,
medical oncology, radiation oncology,
gynecologic oncology and oncology research.
Limentani is Board-certified by the American
Board of Internal Medicine in hematology,
medical oncology and internal medicine. He is a
graduate ofTufts University School of Medicine,
where he obtained a doctorate in medicine
with honors in research. He did his residency
in internal medicine at the New England
Deaconess Hospital, a major teaching hospital
of Harvard Medical School. He completed
his hematology and oncology training at New
England Medical Center in Boston.
Limentani, who has extensive experience with
physician and service line leadership, has a
particular interest in population health and clinical removal and reduce the likelihood of needing
research trials. He has practiced in the Charlotte
market since 1995, when he was the medical
director of clinical trials at the Levine Cancer
Institute and focused on the care of patients with
breast cancer. Most recently, he served as vice
president, cancer services and chief research
officer at Mission Health in Asheville. “We’re proud to be the first hospital in the state accreditations to organizations that follow
n New Technology Improves Surgical
Experience for Breast Cancer Patients
Novant Health Cancer Care continues to
demonstrate its commitment to offering the
most advanced treatment options to patients
with breast cancer by becoming the first
hospital in North Carolina to use the new SAVI
SCOUT radar localization system during breast
conservation surgeries. An alternative to wire
localization, SCOUT is an FDA-cleared device
used by surgeons and radiologists to precisely
locate and direct the removal of a tumor during a
lumpectomy or surgical biopsy procedure. shares how he and his team are creating a
“Breast cancer surgery can be physically and
emotionally distressing for women, and we strive
to find ways to create a better experience — and
better outcomes — for our patients,” says
Peter Turk, MD, surgical oncologist and director
of the Novant Health multidisciplinary breast
cancer program at Novant Health Presbyterian
Medical Center. “SCOUT resolves one of the
most difficult aspects of breast conservation
surgery by eliminating the need to place a wire
inside breast tissue to locate a tumor.”
SCOUT uses nonradioactive, radar
technology to provide real-time surgical
guidance during breast surgery. Rather than
placing a wire immediately before surgery, a
SCOUT reflector is placed in the target tissue
up to 30 days before the procedure. During
surgery, the SCOUT guide accurately detects
the location of the reflector and the tumor.
“Patients are finding it much less painful
and stressful relative to needle localization,”
says Dr. Turk. “It is safer for the staff, with
no sharp needles to work around in surgery,
radiology or pathology.”
The ability to precisely locate and direct the
removal of a tumor during a lumpectomy or
surgical biopsy procedure enables surgeons
to increase the probability of complete cancer
follow-up surgeries — a huge advantage for
early-stage breast cancer patients. In addition,
the ability to strategically plan the incision may
decrease the amount of tissue being removed,
resulting in better cosmetic outcomes.
to be utilizing the innovative SCOUT infrared
locations system,” says Nicole Abinanti, MD,
radiologist and director of women’s imaging
with Mecklenburg Radiology Associates at
Novant Health. “As research and technology
advances, we’re committed to adopting the
safest and most progressive treatment options
for patients with breast cancer.”
n A Look Into Neurosciences
at Novant Health
Eric Eskioglu, MD, senior vice president
for stroke and neurosciences at Novant Health,
world-class experience for patients, and what
the expansion of neurosciences at Novant
Health means to communities:
Q: What kind of physicians make up the
neurosciences team at Novant Health?
A: We truly have a comprehensive
neurosciences team — from neurosurgeons
who perform general neurosurgery, to neuro-
hospitalists who manage acute neurologic
illnesses, to neuro-intensivists who care for
patients in the intensive care unit. We also
Mecklenburg Medicine • February 2017 | 11
have neuro-oncologists who are using some
of the most advanced care protocols to treat
brain tumors.
Q: How does Novant Health neurosciences
differentiate itself from other healthcare systems
in the area of neurosciences?
A: We have experts who can provide high-
end subspecialty care, such as cerebrovascular
neurosurgery, brain tumor neurosurgery,
multiple sclerosis neurology, Parkinson’s
movement disorder neurology, vascular
neurology and more. We are truly structured
to provide the most comprehensive neurologic
care possible. These subspecialties are most
commonly found at academic hospitals, but we
have some of the country’s most knowledgeable
subspecialists in our two major markets:
Charlotte and Winston-Salem.
Other unique aspects of our neurosciences
team are that, in Charlotte, we have the first
female neurosurgeon, Jennifer Orning, MD,
and the first neurology-trained neuro-intensivist,
Kevin Meier, MD.
Q: Novant Health Presbyterian Medical
Center is a Primary Stroke Center. What is the
importance of this designation?
A: The Joint Commission awards these
the best practices for stroke care. Primary
Stroke Centers use a standardized method
of delivering care, support patient self-
management activities, individualize
treatment and intervention, and have an open
dialogue among all patient care providers.
They follow the guidelines established by the
American Heart Association and American
Stroke Association. Hospitals recognized as
an Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center,
which is the highest level of designation,
must first become a Primary Stroke Center
and then show they are dedicating significant
resources in staff and training to treat a
complex stroke. This includes providing
neuro-critical care 24/7, the use of advanced
imaging and participation in stroke resources.
It signifies we are providing our patients
with care comparable to the best that’s given
anywhere in the country. We’re proud we
have achieved the designation of Advanced
Comprehensive Stroke Center in Winston-
Salem, and are well on our way to achieving
this designation in Charlotte.
To read more of this Q&A with Dr. Eskioglu,
visit NovantHealth.org/HealthyHeadlines.