FRONTRONTLINEINETM F L S UMMER 2009 On the front line in the battle against breast cancer. Free Treatment Available in Pennsylvania Program Provides Free Treatment to Uninsured Women with Breast Cancer Thanks to Pennsylvania’s “Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Program, I received the treatment and outstanding care that I needed. I was told to just worry about getting well, don’t worry about paying for it.” Everette James, Secretary, PA Department of Health; Robin Leidhecker, survivor and program participant; Pat Halpin-Murphy, PBCC - Robin Leidhecker, President & Founder; and Senator Vincent Hughes, Minority Chair, Senate Public Health & Welfare Committee spoke at the press a patient enrolled in the conference on FREE treatment in the PA Capitol. FREE Treatment Program reast cancer patients in Pennsylvania who are uninsured or underinsured can receive free treatment through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Program (BCCPT). The BPA Breast Cancer Coalition joined with State Senator Vincent Hughes to announce the program’s availability. Joining Senator Hughes and PBCC President & Founder Pat Halpin-Murphy at the event were PA Department of Health Secretary Everette James and free treatment program participant and breast cancer survivor Robin Leidhecker. Women who are uninsured or underinsured, residing in PA and a US citizen or eligible alien, under 65 years of age, and who meet certain income guidelines are eligible for the program. With nominal copayments, they can receive free health care through participating facilities for medical needs both related and unrelated to their diagnosis. Since the program’s inception, 2,166 women have received free treatment. The PBCC is working to make more women and hospitals aware of the program. If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer and need FREE TREATMENT call the PA Department of Health's HealthyWoman program at 1-800-215-7494. The PBCC is holding seminars throughout the state to educate health care providers and the public about the free treatment program. The next seminars are scheduled for Erie on August 14 and Harrisburg in October. For more info, or to discuss sponsoring or hosting a seminar in your area, contact Jennifer Fetich at [email protected]. Former First Lady PA residents don’t and current PBCC I NSIDE need to go far for Honorary Board T HISISSUE some baseball action this July -- Member Michele a home run derby Ridge chosen by benefiting the LifetimeTV as a PBCC may be ‘Remarkable coming your -page 7- Woman’ way this summer! -page 8- www.pabreastcancer.org PENNSYLVANIA BREAST CANCER COALITION Toll Free 800.377.8828 TM FRONTLINE President’s Corner A quarterly publication of the Pat Halpin-Murphy Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition Is Your Local Hospital a FREE 1-800-377-8828 www.pabreastcancer.org TREATMENT Provider? Statewide Headquarters y now I hope you are aware of the free treatment program available to women without 344 North Reading Road Binsurance in Pennsylvania who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. The program - the Ephrata, PA 17522 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment (BCCPT) program - ensures that women without health insurance need not worry about how to pay for their breast cancer treatment but can instead devote their energy to fighting the disease. Pat Halpin-Murphy There are hundreds of facilities in Pennsylvania that provide breast cancer treatment. But President & Founder unfortunately, not all of these facilities currently participate in the BCCPT free treatment program. Leslie Stiles Honorary Chair So I’d like you to help the PBCC as we work toward the goal of making certain that no woman Leslie Anne Miller, Esq. goes without treatment for breast cancer simply because their local hospitals do not participate in Executive Vice President the program. I am asking you to use your voice on behalf of women who are facing a breast cancer Heather Hibshman diagnosis without health insurance. Ask your local hospital or cancer center if they participate in Executive Director the BCCPT free treatment program. If they do participate, ask them to make sure that information is publicized in your community. Encourage them to write a piece for their local HONORARY BOARD newspaper to get the information out to women who desperately need it. If they do not participate, Bernard Fisher, MD ask them to contact the PBCC to get more information on how they can. Mark Pasquerilla There is something you can do to help women with breast cancer in Pennsylvania. Be an Michele M. Ridge advocate for the free treatment program in your community and help the PBCC to spread the word Senator Harris Wofford so no women will go without treatment due to their insurance status. Let us know your facility is a free treatment program participant by contacting us. Visit BOARD OF DIRECTORS www.pabreastcancer.org/freetreatment for more information. Sandra Christianson Sandy Cray “67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer Deborah Freer John Glick, MD in Pennsylvania” Visits Potter County Gary Gurian otter County hosted the PBCC’s traveling Bonnie Harr Pphoto exhibit in the Irwin Medical Arts G. June Hoch Center at Charles Cole Memorial Hospital. Andrea Mastro, Ph.D. Cindi Hardesty, CNE at Charles Cole Denise Robison Memorial Hospital; Hilary Gordnier, a Alice Sanders junior hospital volunteer whose grandmother Jeanne Schmedlen is a breast cancer survivor; and Twila Alden, Mary Simmonds, MD, FACP the Cameron County survivor featured in the Bonnie Squires exhibit, spoke at the opening reception. Pat Stewart Sandy Cray, PBCC Board of Directors Norman Wolmark, MD Lehigh Valley Vice President, served as emcee for the evening. Mary E. Schroyer, a harpist PBCC STAFF and breast cancer survivor, provided music. Many thanks to Charles Cole Memorial Carol Burkholder Hospital, the speakers, and the community Breast cancer survivors were recognized for Kim Eubanks for supporting this educational exhibit. We their strength and courage during the Jennifer Fetich also thank the PA Department of Health for reception and given carnations. Tricia Grove funding the exhibit. Sarah Lightman Dolores Magro Kathleen Tunney PBCC Named Education Hero by Magazine he PBCC was named “Education Hero” at the 2009 Central Penn Parent’s Healthcare Heroes TAwards. The PBCC was one of nine selected for consideration in the category, which honors Frontline is published as a quarterly communique individuals and organizatiosn in health education making a difference in their community and in for the information of the supporters and friends of the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition. All the health care industry. Central Penn Parent is the only family publication for the central rights reserved. No portion of this publication may Pennsylvania region - serving Dauphin, Lancaster, Cumberland and York counties. be reproduced or distributed without permission from the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition. Editor’s note: In the Spring 2009 Survivor Spotlight feature, we incorrectly referred to Adagio Health as the Amy Collins Law, Editor administrator of the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment program (BCCPT). The [email protected] PA Department of Public Welfare is the sole administrator of the BCCPT program. 2 FRONTLINE - SUMMER 2009 www.pabreastcancer.org PENNSYLVANIA BREAST CANCER COALITION Toll Free 800.377.8828 Survivor IlluminatingSpotlight the lives of breast cancer survivors Tammy Miller Port Matilda, Centre County Tammy Miller on the court at halftime at Bryce Jordan Not Your Average Patient Center during the Lady Lions WBCA Pink Zone game. aybe you’ve seen me around town speaking out about my breast cancer. Public Mwearing big red shoes. Really big red speaking really jazzes me! I feel blessed to be shoes. Of course, that’s when I’m dressed as able to speak to women’s groups and share my alter ego “Hugz the Clown.” People who with them that I am not defined by my breast know me were not surprised to hear that I cancer. It’s just something that happened to went through breast cancer surgery wearing a me. I was thrilled to be invited to speak at clown nose and shoes and carrying a kazoo. the Penn State Lady Lions basketball game For the second surgery I wore a feather boa. that benefited the PBCC. It was fun turning “Remember, you My doctor had forewarned the hospital staff, the crowd of 9,500 fans, breast cancer “This is not your average patient.” survivors and their family members into a cannot change a huge kazoo band, with everyone wearing diagnosis but what Putting Words into Action clown noses! you can change is Before I was diagnosed with breast cancer Saving Grace in September 2001 I had been involved for your attitude and some time with public speaking and One of the 20 lessons in my book “The workshop presentations through Lighter Side of Breast Cancer Recovery” is to how you respond.” Toastmasters International. In many of my recruit a humor team because sometimes it - Tammy Miller presentations I helped people understand the can be difficult to laugh at your own value of a positive attitude and how we can situation. My mother, two daughters and my use humor to deflect some of the most friends were my personal humor team. Yes, I difficult situations. When I got the news that am a trained clown, but you don’t have to be I had breast cancer, I knew that it was time a clown or even have a great sense of humor to put my own words into action. Breast to take positive steps that make a difference. cancer is certainly no laughing matter, but I Remember, you cannot change a chose to look at the lighter side because it is diagnosis but what you can change is your so serious. At times, the only sense you can attitude and how you respond.