Susan G. Komen South Florida Board Meeting

It was a pleasure to attend the spring board meeting of Susan G. Komen South Florida. Together, we have engaged in an ambitious and aggressive campaign to eradicate deaths from breast cancer that stem from disparities in access to high quality care in our community. Florida is the third largest state in America – and we are home to one of the fastest growing populations. The donor fund we have started, called The Promise Fund, will support grant awards in our county.

The affiliate’s board is led by Jill Weiss; and members recently welcomed their first patient navigator, Melissa Dixon, who is responsible for leading patients to care and give them the comfort of effective treatment and follow up care. David Brodsky and Sherry Endelson have also done tremendous work recruiting funds via our annual Perfect Pink Party.

In advance of the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO) in June, it is important we stress the fact that while research is important, the potency of its impact will be limited unless we can broaden the reach of its benefits of it to all patients…everywhere. It’s clear that combining reliable data with access to screening, prevention and treatment programs for many of the most vulnerable in our population will raise the survival rate.

I am extremely proud of the work of Komen’s South Florida Affiliate and Executive Director Kate Watt. They continue to illustrate that we should never doubt that a group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world.