Dr. Laurel Soot has shared leadership responsibilities for the Ruth J. Spear Breast Center since 2003. As a medical director, she has been instrumental in the Breast Center’s active participation in national clinical research projects — every patient presented in the Breast Center’s weekly breast conferences is evaluated by a clinical research nurse to assess her eligibility for multiple national studies. Dr. Soot also has helped facilitate the Breast Center’s involvement in a national benchmarking effort aimed at ensuring that patients receive outstanding multidisciplinary care. A recent focus of her work has been the development of clinical pathways to increase the role of the Breast Center in the community.
In addition to her work with the Breast Center, Dr. Soot is a clinical assistant professor of surgery at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). She has practiced as a general surgeon with the General & Vascular Surgery Clinic P.C. since 2001, and has been a full partner in the clinic since 2003. She is board certified in surgery and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Following her graduation from the University of Washington Medical School, Dr. Soot spent six years as a surgical resident at OHSU. She was named the best clinical resident and best chief resident at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, where she completed portions of her residency.
- In 2004, Dr. Soot was elected to be sent to Washington, D.C., for the American College of Surgeons’ Young Surgeons meeting. Her account of that experience was published in the American College of Surgeons Bulletin.
- Dr. Soot has been published in the American Journal of Surgery and in the Journal of Vascular Surgery.
"The Ruth J. Spear Breast Center is a very special place that provides a unique service to the community," says Dr. Soot. "In the future, we want to provide programs not only for breast cancer patients, but for all women with breast disease concerns. We are currently piloting a program that provides individual case management for patients with a wide range of breast concerns, and ultimately, we hope to expand that program to include women who have no current complaints but who are considered ‘high-risk.’ We also are working toward developing a strong clinical research program that focuses on breast disease, diagnosis and treatment."