Monday, June 28, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
The Rose Receives $1 Million CPRIT Grant;
The Rose received a $1 million award from The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) for its Empower Her to Care Program. The donation will fund cancer screening services to approximately 3,000 medically underserved women. A significant focus of this award is addressing “no show” problems.
“Every time a woman makes an appointment and then doesn’t keep it, we lose three times,” Dorothy Weston Gibbons, co-founder and chief executive officer, explains. “We lose her, we lose the chance for another woman to have that appointment and, most importantly, we lose the chance to detect cancer in either of them.”
Gibbons said the goal is to:
The Rose is one of many Houston-based nonprofit organizations to receive CPRIT grants this year. Others include but are not limited to HOPE Clinic, University of Houston and University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
“If we can figure out the reasons why women are not coming in, then we can better address the obstacles,” said Gibbons. “We are deeply grateful to CPRIT for this extraordinary opportunity to make a difference in our community.”
The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas was established in 2007 when Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment authorizing the state to issue $3 billion in bonds to fund cancer research and prevention programs and services.
The Rose is the Houston area's leading 501(c)(3) non-profit breast cancer organization providing mammography screening, diagnosis, access to treatment and support to all women regardless of their ability to pay. For an appointment, call 281-484-4708 or 866-680-4708. Insured or not insured, you are welcome at The Rose. Call us today.
“Every time a woman makes an appointment and then doesn’t keep it, we lose three times,” Dorothy Weston Gibbons, co-founder and chief executive officer, explains. “We lose her, we lose the chance for another woman to have that appointment and, most importantly, we lose the chance to detect cancer in either of them.”
Gibbons said the goal is to:
- Increase mammography screening rates
- Increase first-time mammography screening of both African-American and Hispanic women
- Decrease no-show rates, and
- Ensure that all patients receive information about cervical cancer screening
“Our Empower Her to Care Project involves providing ‘care’ for more women by increasing capacity, maximizing resources and finding new, innovative ways to encourage screening that truly empower each woman to take ‘care’ of her health,” Gibbons said.
The Rose is one of many Houston-based nonprofit organizations to receive CPRIT grants this year. Others include but are not limited to HOPE Clinic, University of Houston and University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
“If we can figure out the reasons why women are not coming in, then we can better address the obstacles,” said Gibbons. “We are deeply grateful to CPRIT for this extraordinary opportunity to make a difference in our community.”
The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas was established in 2007 when Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment authorizing the state to issue $3 billion in bonds to fund cancer research and prevention programs and services.
The donation is the largest ever received by The Rose and will be funded over a two-year period.
The Rose is the Houston area's leading 501(c)(3) non-profit breast cancer organization providing mammography screening, diagnosis, access to treatment and support to all women regardless of their ability to pay. For an appointment, call 281-484-4708 or 866-680-4708. Insured or not insured, you are welcome at The Rose. Call us today.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Southeast Houston’s Oldest and Largest Fundraising Event Benefiting The Rose – Back for 21st Year
If you’re new to the area and not familiar with this down-home food fest, here’s what to expect:
• The Rose 2010 Shrimp Boil benefits one of the area’s most enduring charities – The Rose. The Rose is a nonprofit breast care organization that started in southeast Houston more than 24 years ago because women without insurance needed quality breast care.
• Today, The Rose provides mammograms for thousands of uninsured women all over the greater Houston area. Insured women also go to The Rose for their annual mammograms which helps offset the cost for women who can’t afford to pay.
• Co-founders of the organization, surgeon Dr. Dixie Melillo and The Rose CEO Dorothy Weston Gibbons, as always, will be at the Shrimp Boil meeting, greeting and thanking the 1000-plus supporters expected to show up.
Last year the shrimp boil raised more than $85,000 for The Rose. Sponsors who are already signed up for 2010 include Pinnacle Financial Strategies, Precision Radiotherapy Center, Phelps Insurance, Soroptimist International of Pasadena, Aaron and Bonnie Jones, Patrick and Dorothy Gibbons, Bayway Lincoln Mercury, Casa Ole, Texas Citizens Bank, Buffalo Flange, Bayou City Public Relations and Continental Airlines.
“We prominently display a sponsor’s name as a supporter of The Rose and the fight against breast cancer,” said Michelle Hanson event coordinator. “Even if a sponsor can’t attend, we still recognize them publicly and in print,” she said.
Another way for Houston businesses to support the event is to donate an item for the live and silent auctions.
“There’s room in the mix for prizes big and small,” Hanson said. “Participants will bid on everything from airline tickets and automobiles to free dinners at the area’s best eateries, to gift cards at favorite stores.”
“Additionally, we invite everyone to visit The Rose website (www.therose.org) to learn more about the many women we’ve assisted and the many lives we’ve helped save,” said Hanson.
For more information about The Rose 2010 Shrimp Boil and how to participate, call Hanson at (281) 464-5165 or contact her via e-mail at mhanson@therose.org.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Captures 2010 Better Business Bureau ‘Winner of Distinction Award for Excellence ‘
The Rose, which last year delivered more than 68,000 medical and educational services to both uninsured and insured Houston-area women, won the Winner of Distinction Award for Excellence presented by the Greater Houston and South Texas chapter of the Better Business Bureau (BBB).The Rose was honored at the 18th Annual BBB Awards of Excellence ceremony held at the Intercontinental Hotel to honor Houston-area nonprofits and companies that “demonstrate a superior commitment to ethics, overall excellence and quality in the workplace,” said Dan Parsons, president of the organization.
“The Rose is an accredited charity partner that has lived up to our standards of trust, are accountable to their clients, donors and board and faithfully commit to the highest quality of service.”
“We are proud that the Better Business Bureau has recognized the quality and value of our work,” said Dorothy Weston Gibbons, co-founder and chief executive officer of The Rose who, along with Myrleen Knott, chairman of The Rose board of trustees, accepted a crystal prism trophy at the event.
Gibbons said services from The Rose reduce deaths from breast cancer by providing screening, diagnostic follow-up, access to treatment, patient navigation, support and education. “The Rose provides access to treatment for all women, regardless of their ability to pay, said Gibbons. “We answer Houston’s growing demand for breast care services.”
Gibbons said the key to The Rose’s sustainability is simple and effective: “At The Rose, a woman with insurance actually offsets the cost of a mammogram for a woman who has none.”
The Rose operates two Houston diagnostic centers and a mobile mammogram program. Locations are: The Rose Galleria at 5420 W. Loop South, Suite 3300; and The Rose Southeast at 12700 N. Featherwood, Suite 260.
For more information about The Rose, visit http://www.therose.org/. Call 281-484-4708 for an appointment at either location.
Pictured: CEO and Co-founder Dorothy Gibbons (left) with Chairman of the Board of Directors Myrleen Knott.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
All Jokes Aside, There’s a Good Reason You’re Squeezed During a Mammogram
By Rae Miller
Many a joke has been made about the discomfort of a round breast being squeezed flat like a pancake during a mammogram, but it turns out there is sound reasoning behind it.
"The breast has to be taut," explains Carla Montgomery, a mammography technologist at The Rose. "The more pressure we use, the less 'give' there is in the breast and the more the breast tissue is spread apart.”
This, says Montgomery, means the radiologist – the physician whose specialty is “reading” mammograms – can see through the mass with no overlapping breast tissue getting in the way.
At The Rose, a Houston-area nonprofit breast cancer screening organization, women who don't care much for that temporary flattening effect can feel great about this: Every time their insurance pays for a mammogram, they have helped cover the cost of a mammogram for other women who are not insured or don’t have the ability to pay.
Women can also feel great about The Rose Galleria, says the center’s radiologist. Dr. Daniel Roubein. “There is not another medical facility in the Houston area that can claim superior technology to our new The Rose Galleria.” The newest mammography technology is digital.
Before digital mammograms, analog mammography was the standard. What is the difference between analog and digital?
Roubein explains: "Analog mammograms are similar to photographs developed from film. You can't change the color of the picture and you can't magnify it or rotate it to get a different view. With digital images like those we obtain at The Rose Galleria, we can glean more information. This means the patient may be less likely to be called back for additional imaging.”
Another advantage says Roubein, is that the information can be shared electronically if a patient’s record needs to be sent elsewhere."
Roubein reads and interprets the digital images – the mammogram – from a computer screen, but it's a team effort.
If a radiologist can't count on his mammography technologists to do the job right, he says, there's nothing to work with. Skilled technologists, says Roubein, generate diagnostic images that are meaningful and useful.
To earn these skills, Montgomery says she and other technologists must complete a two-year
X-ray college program, followed by 40 hours of mammography specialization, plus 25 mammograms.
The goal is for patients to get an experienced technologist from the get-go, she says.
Montgomery brings special knowledge to the job. At only 38, she has already had several mammograms herself, because she volunteered to be the class "guinea pig” as a student.
"I wanted to know what it was like so I could tell my patients 'this is how it's going to feel, this is how long it's going to take,’" she says.
Bedside manner cannot be taught in a classroom, but it is important. That’s why Montgomery tells women that yes, mammograms are uncomfortable, but it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to get two images per breast.
Women tend to be nervous the first time they have a mammogram, she says. A woman’s first breast screening is called a baseline mammogram.
Baseline mammograms are important, says Roubein.
"They are the starting point for interpretation. We can interpret without a baseline if one is not available for some reason, but making comparisons between breast tissue today and breast tissue from two or three years ago is an ideal way to determine if something is benign without having to do a biopsy. "
Baseline mammograms can be a woman's first mammogram ever, or her first mammogram after surgery for breast cancer or breast implants.
So when should a woman have that first mammogram?
At age 40, or even younger if a problem pops up, Roubein says. These are not the guidelines set out in a recent study conducted by the United States Preventative Services Task Force, which recommended eliminating screening for women aged 40-49. The study said women 50-74 should be screened every other year.
Roubein says the controversial study is just not correct. "The study did not accurately portray the value of mammography. There is no arbitrary age at which breast cancer begins."
Become a fan of The Rose on Facebook.
"The breast has to be taut," explains Carla Montgomery, a mammography technologist at The Rose. "The more pressure we use, the less 'give' there is in the breast and the more the breast tissue is spread apart.”
This, says Montgomery, means the radiologist – the physician whose specialty is “reading” mammograms – can see through the mass with no overlapping breast tissue getting in the way.
At The Rose, a Houston-area nonprofit breast cancer screening organization, women who don't care much for that temporary flattening effect can feel great about this: Every time their insurance pays for a mammogram, they have helped cover the cost of a mammogram for other women who are not insured or don’t have the ability to pay.
Women can also feel great about The Rose Galleria, says the center’s radiologist. Dr. Daniel Roubein. “There is not another medical facility in the Houston area that can claim superior technology to our new The Rose Galleria.” The newest mammography technology is digital.
Before digital mammograms, analog mammography was the standard. What is the difference between analog and digital?
Roubein explains: "Analog mammograms are similar to photographs developed from film. You can't change the color of the picture and you can't magnify it or rotate it to get a different view. With digital images like those we obtain at The Rose Galleria, we can glean more information. This means the patient may be less likely to be called back for additional imaging.”
Another advantage says Roubein, is that the information can be shared electronically if a patient’s record needs to be sent elsewhere."
Roubein reads and interprets the digital images – the mammogram – from a computer screen, but it's a team effort.
If a radiologist can't count on his mammography technologists to do the job right, he says, there's nothing to work with. Skilled technologists, says Roubein, generate diagnostic images that are meaningful and useful.
To earn these skills, Montgomery says she and other technologists must complete a two-year
X-ray college program, followed by 40 hours of mammography specialization, plus 25 mammograms.
The goal is for patients to get an experienced technologist from the get-go, she says.
Montgomery brings special knowledge to the job. At only 38, she has already had several mammograms herself, because she volunteered to be the class "guinea pig” as a student.
"I wanted to know what it was like so I could tell my patients 'this is how it's going to feel, this is how long it's going to take,’" she says.
Bedside manner cannot be taught in a classroom, but it is important. That’s why Montgomery tells women that yes, mammograms are uncomfortable, but it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to get two images per breast.
Women tend to be nervous the first time they have a mammogram, she says. A woman’s first breast screening is called a baseline mammogram.
Baseline mammograms are important, says Roubein.
"They are the starting point for interpretation. We can interpret without a baseline if one is not available for some reason, but making comparisons between breast tissue today and breast tissue from two or three years ago is an ideal way to determine if something is benign without having to do a biopsy. "
Baseline mammograms can be a woman's first mammogram ever, or her first mammogram after surgery for breast cancer or breast implants.
So when should a woman have that first mammogram?
At age 40, or even younger if a problem pops up, Roubein says. These are not the guidelines set out in a recent study conducted by the United States Preventative Services Task Force, which recommended eliminating screening for women aged 40-49. The study said women 50-74 should be screened every other year.
Roubein says the controversial study is just not correct. "The study did not accurately portray the value of mammography. There is no arbitrary age at which breast cancer begins."
Become a fan of The Rose on Facebook.
To schedule your appointment at The Rose, call 281.484.4708 or visit www.TheRose.org.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Understanding Breast Pain
by Dr. Daniel Roubein
Let’s talk about breast pain, medically known as Mastodynia. What do you know about it? The first thing you should know is that it is not a common symptom of breast cancer. To put it another way, most women with breast cancer do not present themselves to their doctors with a main complaint of breast pain, but rather they tell their doctors that they feel a lump in their breast or have noticed a change in the skin of their breast.
Breast pain refers to any type of pain in the breast, including premenstrual tenderness, and there are many causes for breast pain. Hormonal changes are often responsible for breast pain. Some common causes of breast pain include:
•Menstruation
•Poorly fitting bra
•Weight gain
•Excessive caffeine ingestion
•Excessive alcohol intake
•Fibrocystic breast disease (lumpy or bumpy breast tissue which tends to be more tender before the menstrual cycle begins)
•Infection
•Traumatic injury
•Medications (such as certain heart medications)
Some simple steps you can take to help decrease breast pain include:
•Buy a professionally fitted bra to give the best possible breast support.
•Reduce the intake of caffeine and alcohol
•Consult with your doctor if you think you may have a breast infection (for instance, if you have redness of the skin of the breast or swelling of the breast).
•Apply an ice pack to your breast if you have injured your breast.
Some reasons to call your doctor to ask about your breast pain:
•Fluid discharge from the nipple, whether this is bloody or not
•Concern about a breast infection
•A new lump or mass in the breast
•Persistent breast pain with no explanation.
These are some common causes for breast pain and a few simple steps you can take to alleviate the pain. However, if you’re not sure about the pain, then it’s better to err on the side of caution. Call your doctor and make an appointment. If you don’t have a doctor, call The Rose at (281) 484-4708. Your peace of mind is our priority.
About Dr. Roubein – Dr. Daniel Roubein is a Radiologist at The Rose. The founder and president of Radiology Reading Centers of America, Dr. Roubein has been practicing radiology for 18 years. He joined The Rose team in 2009.
He is a senior member of the American Society of Neuroradiology and a member of the American Society of Head and Neck Radiology, American Medical Association, Radiological Society of North America and the Houston Radiological Society.
Click Here to see the original article on Click2Houston.com.
To schedule your appointment at The Rose, call 281.484.4708 or visit www.TheRose.org.
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