For Dr. Walter Hayne, bringing breast surgery services to AdventHealth Apopka is more than a professional assignment — it is deeply personal. 

Over the years, Hayne has watched multiple members of his own family battle breast cancer, including his wife, sister, mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Those experiences helped shape his calling as a breast surgeon and his commitment to caring for patients facing the disease. 

“My wife has had breast cancer, my sister’s had breast cancer, and my mother-in-law’s had breast cancer, and my sisters-in-law have had breast cancer,” Hayne said in a June 16 interview. “God has nudged me over the past 20 years that this is something that I need to do, not because I am any better than any other surgeon, but I think it puts me in a position to have compassion and understanding for what women are going through.” 

Beginning July 7, Dr. Walter Hayne is scheduled to start seeing patients at a new breast surgery clinic at AdventHealth Apopka, expanding local access to specialized breast health care that previously often required travel to other AdventHealth campuses.  

The clinic, located near oncologist Dr. Grant Jester on the hospital’s second floor, will allow patients to receive imaging, surgical consultations and oncology care at the same campus. AdventHealth Apopka opened in 2017 at 2100 Ocoee-Apopka Road and serves residents of Apopka and northwest Orange County. 

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer comprises for about 30% of all new female cancers each year and is the most common cancer in women in the United States, aside from skin cancer. A woman in the United States has a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer, the American Cancer Society says.  

Hayne, who has practiced within the AdventHealth system in Orlando, Orange City and Lake Mary, said his goal is to provide Apopka residents with the same level of care available at larger AdventHealth campuses. 

“I don’t think Apopka really has a good breast surgery program for patients with breast cancer,” Hayne said. “If we can actually allow women in the community here to have access to the same breast surgery program that we have at Orlando or Altamonte [Springs] or Lake Mary, therefore, when I was asked if I would come over to here [Apopka], I said absolutely.” 

In addition to treating breast cancer, Hayne will provide care for breast masses, breast pain, breast abscesses and other breast-related conditions. The practice will also offer in-office ultrasound services and ultrasound-guided biopsies, helping patients receive diagnoses and treatment more quickly. 

Hayne said one of the greatest challenges for patients is the uncertainty that comes while waiting for test results and appointments. 

“The worst part of the possibility of a woman having breast cancer is the wait,” he said. “If we can help get them in sooner, and right here, and they don’t have to travel far, that’s our goal.” 

The addition of breast surgery services expands the range of specialty care available at AdventHealth Apopka. 

Karen McGaha, AdventHealth physician liaison, said the hospital is excited to bring breast oncology services to its Apopka campus and provide specialized care closer to home for residents. 

“It’s such a big deal that we have breast oncology here, because we are a community hospital,” McGaha said. “It’s nice to be able to serve our entire Apopka community.” 

Hayne will initially be the only breast surgeon serving the Apopka location, splitting his time between Apopka and Lake Mary. He expects demand for the service to increase as the city continues to grow. 

“As you probably know, they’re building like crazy, and there’s lots of people coming to Apopka,” he said. 

Asked what he hopes the new service will mean for Apopka patients, Hayne pointed back to access and trust. 

“Just to take care of the patients the same here as we would at AdventHealth Orlando,” he said, “and to take care of people the way I want my family to be taken care of.”