News and Media
Breast Surgeons Join Saint Thomas Health Services; Form New Physician Practice, Tennessee Breast Specialists
Breast surgeons Drs. Laura L. Dunbar, Ben T. Furman and Laura L. Lawson have joined Saint Thomas Health Services and formed a new physician practice, Tennessee Breast Specialists.Tennessee Breast Specialists opened its office, located at 300 20th Avenue North, Suite 106, in the 20th Avenue Medical Office Building adjacent to Baptist Hospital, on Sept. 1.
The board-certified surgeons provide comprehensive breast care, including the latest advances in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. The practice is affiliated with Saint Thomas Health Services and the physicians are currently members of the Baptist Hospital medical staff. Drs. Furman and Lawson also serve as co-directors of the Saint Thomas Health Services Breast Cancer Program.
“As a leader in women’s health and treating women with breast cancer, we are extremely excited to have these physicians as a part of our team,” said Elizabeth Pace, service line executive for cancer services for Saint Thomas Health Services. “Collectively, our three Centers for Breast Health at Baptist Hospital, Saint Thomas Hospital and Middle Tennessee Medical Center see more than 48,000 women each year. We are continually finding opportunities to build upon our many years of experience and expertise in providing innovative, quality care to breast cancer patients throughout the region.”
Drs. Dunbar, Furman and Lawson previously practiced with the Nashville Breast Center.
Dr. Dunbar received her medical degree from Southern Illinois University. She performed her internship and residency in general surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She worked in a solo practice from 1984-2001 and subsequently helped found the Nashville Breast Center. Dr. Dunbar is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, Association of Women Surgeons and Nashville Surgical Society.
Dr. Furman received his medical degree from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He completed his internship at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and then a residency in surgery at Wake Forest. Dr. Furman then practiced as a surgeon at Watauga Surgical Group in Boone, N.C. Subsequently, he completed a fellowship in surgical oncology at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Fla. Dr. Furman is licensed in Tennessee, Florida and North Carolina and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons.
Dr. Lawson earned her medical degree from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and also performed her residency in general surgery and fellowship in breast surgical oncology at Vanderbilt. Upon completion of her fellowship, she joined the Nashville Breast Center. Dr. Lawson received numerous academic honors while receiving her medical education. She is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, National Consortium of Breast Centers, Tennessee Women in Medicine and American College of Surgeons. She also participates in research studies.
Saint Thomas Health Services’ regional health system consists of five hospitals – Baptist and Saint Thomas Hospitals and the Center for Spinal Surgery in Nashville, Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro and Hickman Community Hospital in Centerville – and a comprehensive network of affiliated joint ventures in diagnostics, cardiac services and ambulatory surgery as well as medical practices, clinics and rehabilitation facilities. STHS is a member of Ascension Health, a Catholic organization that is the largest not-for-profit health system in the United States. For more information, visit www.sths.com.
