So, yeah. Dr. Buonagura knows what it means to miss New Orleans – and how.
Not that she’s got anything bad to say about Arkansas. It was while there that the former general surgeon honed her skills and took a particular interest in breast health. That will remain her focus with St. Tammany Health System, working as part of its Northlake Surgical team out of a satellite office within its Women’s Pavilion in Covington.
“It’s like a dream to be a part of the Women’s Pavilion,” she said. “Just look at the achievements it’s racked up: It’s a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, it just won another Women’s Choice award as a 2021 Mammogram Center, it’s a nationally accredited breast center. I’m not sure people know what a jewel we have right here in our backyard. I’m really looking forward to working alongside these people every day.”
That includes specifically trained breast radiologists as well as an on-site patient navigator who, especially with the addition of Dr. Buonagura, offer patients a continuity of care from diagnosis to treatment.
That being said, Dr. Buonagura knows it won’t be easy. Breast cancer and breast health is a challenging specialty, she admits. Not only is there the physical component, but for many women there’s also a deep emotional component.
And, going back to those early dreams of helping people, that’s precisely why Dr. Buonagura does it.
“I find it rewarding in its own way,” she said. “It takes a huge emotional toll on the patient, and I want to be there for them, I want to explain to them what’s happening, I want to help them understand everything they’re going through.
“It just takes a lot of your core and your soul to give that much,” she added, “but that’s what it takes with these patients.”
The fact that she’ll get to decompress when she’s away from the office with a little Jazzfesting, Who Datting, Mardi Gras-ing and all the other things locals do (in non-pandemic times, anyway) makes her happier than ever to be back home – and back at St. Tammany Health System.
“Everybody talks about how much St. Tammany Health System has grown, but to me it’s the same St. Tammany,” Dr. Buonagura said. “Great care, great people, and the nursing staff – everybody is family to them. It’s a great place to come back to.”