PA Breast Cancer Coalition 2012 Annual Report By the numbers: 236 Grassroots Partners events were held across PA in 2012. 344 North Reading Road Ephrata, PA 17522 579 newly diagnosed women received www.PABreastCancer.org Friends Like Me care packages 800-377-8828 completely free of charge. * We’re moving in 2013 to 2397 Quentin Road, Suite B Lebanon, PA 17042 3,250 people learned about early detection from the traveling photo exhibit. Pat Halpin-Murphy President & Founder Leslie Anne Miller, Esq. Executive Vice President 225 people volunteered at PBCC events Jennifer Pensinger Executive Director PBCC STAFF 854 copies of Breast Cancer: Carol Burkholder Office Manager Covered or Not? were distributed. Kim Bell Data Manager Tricia Grove 275 became a driving force in the fight Director of Finance and Administration against breast cancer by ordering a Natalie Kopp Communications Director Pink Ribbon License Plate Dolores Magro Director of Patient Advocacy and Conference Development 280 women received the help they needed from Kristen Snoke Community Outreach Director our on-staff Patient Advocate Welcome Message from Pat Halpin-Murphy President & Founder, PA Breast Cancer Coalition My own battle with breast cancer ignites my resolve to see that our generation is the last one to ever fear breast cancer. Since 1993 when we founded the PA Breast Cancer Coalition, breast cancer survivors, medical professionals, community leaders and government, labor, and industry leaders have joined us in our efforts. Together we have dedicated our lives to the mission of “finding a cure now … so our daughters won’t have to.” Our highly acclaimed outreach programs include Friends Like Me™, our traveling photo exhibit 67 Women – 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania, Refunds for Research, the PA Breast Cancer Coalition Conference, and our FREE online course for nurses, social workers and breast cancer advocates. The PA Breast Cancer Coalition was formed in 1993 by a dedicated, active and effective group of breast cancer survivors who had one common mission: to find a cure for breast cancer. Every program, event and campaign is carried out with that goal in mind. Today, the PBCC is the source of action and information for Pennsylvania women with breast cancer and their families. On behalf of all women in Pennsylvania, and especially our daughters and granddaughters, I thank you for all that you do to help us reach that goal. PBCC Board of Directors Pat Halpin-Murphy Rosemary Boland President & Founder Sandy Cray Deborah Freer John Glick, M.D. Leslie Anne Miller, Esq. Gary Gurian Executive Vice President Andrea Mastro, Ph.D. Alice Sanders Sandra Christianson Jeanne Schmedlen Corporate Secretary Mary Simmonds, M.D., F.A.C.P. Pat Stewart Leslie Stiles G. June Hoch Ted Williams Treasurer Norman Wolmark, M.D. Programs FREE Treatment for Breast Cancer Online Course What would you do if there was a lifesaving program providing FREE TREATMENT for breast cancer but people didn’t know about it? The PBCC answered that question with an online course about the program. The Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment program (BCCPT) provides full, free medical coverage to uninsured and underinsured women who have been diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer. The program has been in place since 2002 but the PBCC learned a few years ago that women who could benefit from it were not given the information. We immediately sprang into action, printing flyers, holding seminars and trainings across the state. NOW we have expanded this initiative to a new level. Our online course about BCCPT is available to anyone any time on our website. Over 1,200 patients, survivors, nurses, social workers and others have taken the course. FREE continuing education credits are given to nurses and social workers on completion of the course. YOUR support of the PBCC allows us to continue this effort, and YOU can help to spread the word about BCCPT. To take the online course visit: pbcc.me/Classroom Programs PA Breast Cancer Coalition Conference When you come to the PBCC conference in October, you meet breast cancer survivors, medical professionals, and community or business leaders with one thing in common: an interest in 2012 Awardees breast cancer. Experts in the field lead workshops on a wide range of topics POTAMKIN including the latest developments in detection and treatment. The Potamkin Award carries a $10,000 stipend Awards are presented at the conference for leadership and is presented to an outstanding leader in the in research, education, treatment and advocacy, and for breast cancer community. community grassroots efforts. The PBCC also awards Nancy E. Davidson, M.D. the $10,000 Potamkin grant during the conference to an Director, University of Pittsburgh Cancer outstanding leader in the breast cancer research community. Institute and UPMC Cancer Centers With the help of donors to our scholarship fund, the registration fee for individuals is never a barrier to attending. PINK RIBBON The Pink Ribbon Award is given to individuals who demonstrate outstanding leadership in breast cancer research, education, treatment and advocacy. The Honorable Allyson Y. Schwartz United States House of Representatives Alicia Richards Co-Anchor, abc27 Harrisburg SHINING LIGHT The Shining Light Award is presented annually for community grassroots leadership in the field of breast cancer research, education, outreach and advocacy. Tammy Miller President and CEO, Tammy Speaks, LLC Breast Cancer Survivor Friends Like Me A woman newly diagnosed with breast cancer needs timely information about treatment options, what to expect next and what questions to ask her doctor. The PBCC wants her to find all the answers in one place and our Friends Like Me care package delivers them right to her front door. Each package is sent at no charge to the woman or the friend or family member ordering it on her behalf. Friends Like Me care packages are filled with clinical resources, inspiration and support. Whenever possible, the package is customized to fit the woman’s personal situation. She is offered the option to receive a follow-up call from the PBCC patient advocate to be sure that all her needs are being met. An overwhelming percentage of Friends Like Me care package recipients tell us, “Now I know I’m not alone.” Programs Refunds for Research YOU are helping us reach our goal of “finding a cure now … so our daughters won’t have to.” You do that every year when you donate all or part of your state income tax refund to research! Every little bit means a great deal. The average donation to the PBCC’s Refunds for Research campaign is $8.00 and those taxpayer donations add up dramatically. Since the kick-off of the program in 1997, your $8, $9 and $10 donations have enabled the PBCC to award 71 grants with nearly $3 million dollars going directly into the hands of promising researchers across Pennsylvania 2012 Refunds for Research Grantees Predicting response to HER2-targeted therapy: Serum/plasma biomarker ELISA analysis and response in the NCIC MA.31 Phase III clinical trial of trastuzumab vs. lapatinib in 1st-line metastatic breast cancer Allan Lipton, M.D. Professor of Medicine, Deptartment of Hematology/Oncology, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Identification of Metastasis Signaling Pathways That Regulate and Predict Organ-Specific Metastasis Andy Minn, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, and Assistant Investigator, Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Prevention of Breast Cancer Metastases Takemi Tanaka, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Thomas Jefferson University 67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in PA Funding for this project is provided by the PA Department of Health The face of a survivor represents hope and encouragement to a woman newly diagnosed with breast cancer. That hope is experienced across the state through our photo exhibit “67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania.” We celebrate the life, courage, hope and dignity of women who have battled breast cancer with their pictures and inspirational quotes. The PBCC’s first program, the photo exhibit has traveled to 115 communities, with its message reaching millions of families through the extensive media coverage it generates. 2012 Exhibit Hosts Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute, Crawford County Central Penn College, Cumberland County Sayre – Guthrie Clinic, Bradford County Hazleton Health & Wellness Center, Luzerne County Programs Patient Advocacy Every day, someone calls the PBCC patient advocate to say “I have breast cancer and …” What comes next might be an issue with her insurance company refusing coverage of a procedure her physician wants her to have. Or she’s worried about taking time off for treatments and potentially losing her job. Worse, she doesn’t have insurance and she has no idea what she and her family are going to do to cover her care. In a world of voice mail and computer-generated phone responses, the PBCC patient advocate listens and offers a reassuring voice. Sometimes she is sharing information about local, state, and national organizations. Often she is here to explain a complicated program in a way that makes it less intimidating and more accessible. During 2012, over 280 women spoke with our patient advocate for help. Thanks to your support of the PBCC, none of them had to face their breast cancer alone. To contact the PBCC’s Patient Advocate call 1-800-377-8828 x3020 Insurance Guidebook Breast Cancer: Covered or Not Now in its 2nd edition, the Breast Cancer: Covered or Not guidebook explains what insurance companies are required to cover, clearly defines employment protection under the law, shows how to appeal claim denials, and helps reader understand what is covered and what is not. The book has been sent to hospitals, libraries, legislators, and community groups at no charge.