Reducing Breast Cancer Risks in African American Communities
The message to go for an annual breast cancer screening is听辞苍别听that needs to go to every woman in every community.听
That鈥檚听happening at 五月天视频 (WCM)听with the leadership of Vivian Jolly Bea, MD,听Assistant Professor of Surgery-Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University.听
Dr. Bea听also听serves as听section chief of breast surgical oncology in the Department of Surgery for NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. She听has developed听an听outreach program听in some of Brooklyn鈥檚听underserved听areas via local churches,听where Black women听are educating听fellow church members and听communities about understanding the risk of breast cancer,听and the importance of听early detection and diagnosis.听
Partnerships in local community outreach
鈥淲e identified and paired up with certain churches and spoke with their ministers and pastors about the importance of breast health awareness, especially in the COVID era,鈥 Dr. Bea says. 鈥淭hese leaders helped us find women in their churches who serve as 鈥榥avigators鈥欌攖hey have been educated about breast health and awareness and, in turn, share their knowledge.鈥
The program has been a success, Dr. Bea says.
Paired with WCM鈥檚 decision to extend its screening hours so women can get screened after work, more women are being screened. And these often are African American women who face a greater risk of death from breast cancer than their white peers.
鈥淲e certainly see a large population of African American women who have triple-negative breast cancer, which portends a more aggressive tumor type,鈥 Dr. Bea says. 鈥淲e have to be cognizant and thoughtful about the ways that we treat all populations, especially in Brooklyn.鈥
Raising awareness within patient populations
Dr. Bea also points to some of the internal organizational awareness that WCM has made in serving all communities.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been at the forefront and really embraced diversity and inclusion,鈥 she says. 鈥淲e have diverse representation within our divisions and departments, and have even held a continuing medical education session to educate providers so they have the tools they need to take care of all patients.鈥
Dr. Bea also acknowledges that WCM鈥檚 multidisciplinary breast cancer resources 鈥渞eally holds each other鈥檚 feet to the fire鈥 to ensure that every patient receives top-notch care.
And despite the patient鈥檚 background, Dr. Bea implores all women to have their breasts checked and know how to maintain a healthy life.
鈥淏y any means and all means, get the mammogram done,鈥 she adds. 鈥淎nd of course, we have to be secure, stable and healthy. I recommend meditation, healthy eating, drinking water, exercising, and really decompressing, because that will help determine our overall health, allows us to be here for our families and continue to be the backbone of this nation.鈥
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