FARMINGTON – Registered nurse Rita M. Porter has been appointed Care Support Nurse for Franklin Memorial Hospital’s new Breast Care Center.

The center, scheduled to open in May, will provide area women with timely access to cutting edge screening, diagnostic, clinical, and care-support services, provided by a multi-disciplinary team of experts.

Porter will be responsible for educating and guiding women through the screening, diagnosis, and treatment process, and personally assist women and their families who face a diagnosis of breast cancer. She will also assist physicians by developing a systemwide mammography reminder system for their patients.

“My role is to help make breast health a seamless process for the patient from the moment their primary doctor schedules a mammogram, to prompt follow-up radiological testing, and to support those who are undergoing cancer treatment and are in need of oncology, physical therapy, dietary, chaplaincy, and other services,” Porter said.

Porter is a registered nurse who transitioned from office nursing to nursing care management. She retired from CIGNA Healthcare of Maine in 2000 after 10 years of service.

She received her nursing degree from Mercy Hospital School of Nursing and resides in Farmington.