Another Reason Why ...

Two things that do not mix well – ice and Houston roadways.

Two more things that don’t do well together – rolling out our Mobile Program to more corporate offices on the same week ice is predicted on Houston roadways.

If ever there were a good week to ask, “Why?” …

AND YET … as I knew they would, The Rose staff “rose” to the occasion.

Imagine the scene: It’s Monday and two of our Mobile Team members Lilia and Donna are taking care of Cyberonics employees in record time. I know this because Karen, who is part of our Communications staff, was live tweeting the day and she actually timed one patient as less than 15 min.  (By the way, I NEVER thought I would use the word “tweeting” in a sentence.) Meanwhile, Cindy, the manager of our Mobile Team, is back at our Featherwood location juggling calendars and sites who were already letting us know they were closing for the next day’s anticipated ice storm. In between patients, Donna calls to see if they can stay late to cover the women who were supposed to be on the docket for Cyberonics second day of screenings. That’s when she finds out Thursday just opened up. So now Lilia is notifying Kim at Cyberonics who is reaching out to her staff to make Tuesday become Thursday!

Are you still with me?

Even though the teams can’t go out on Tuesday, Donna finds time to do a bit of breast cancer awareness.  She builds an ice man and the tweet of that little pink-ribbon wearing creature got retweeted by our local weatherman!

Now we get to Wednesday and a very COLD morning. When I arrived early(before 6 AM), I see three sets of the Mobile Team all bundled up and overcoming hard to open doors and frozen lifts and loading equipment in less-than-ideal-conditions. What I didn’t know is that they’ve already had to use jumper cables on one of the vans to get it to start!

As Cindy told me later, “When push comes to shove, they truly are a team – they all waited on each other and made sure each other was okay and knew the routes to take since the HOV lanes were closed.”

Since United Airlines was on the books on Wednesday and it was the first time we were going to the downtown offices, we really wanted to make a good impression. Well … no worries! This “true team” netted praise throughout the day via emails and on Facebook …

It was really a great day – people genuinely appreciated the convenience of getting it done at work in just a few minutes.  I never dreamed it would be so popular! – Amy of United

Thank you for arranging for The Rose to come to the office and do mammograms. Walking back and forth between Jefferson and Smith took longer than checking in and completing the mammogram. Definite productivity saver instead of taking time from work for an appointment elsewhere. – Susan in email to organizers Amy and Debbie at United

One more "brag" on The Rose Houston and their mobile unit....if you have the good fortune that your employer schedules this event...please take advantage. I was in and out in 15 minutes and Donna the RN was friendly and made you feel comfortable. There are no more excuses not to take care of you! OK, off my soap box now! – Bobbye 

Thursday the Cyberonics rescheduled day not only went well, it also provided us with the opportunity to photograph and hear from their CEO Dan Moore who will be speaking at our April luncheon this year. After seeing firsthand his employees’ positive response to having the mobile onsite and hearing about our dream of having a fleet of mobile units caring for women across Texas, he offered several great suggestions to help us better communicate with corporate leaders.

As Karen, who had interviewed Dan for an upcoming story, recounted their discussion to me, I had to smile. I remember back to the day when I first told her to use “fleet” when talking about our vans. Karen paused and I knew she was questioning whether three vans could really be called a “fleet.” But as soon as I shared the dream of reaching counties where they have NO ACCESS to breast health care and breaking down barriers like those of convenience that often keep women from making the preventive appointments we know will save lives, she understood. And she’s used “fleet” ever since.

 
I love to dream. I love it even more when dreams start to seem like reality.

And this dream is shaping up. With people like Amy and Debbie at United, Michelle (our board member who connected us to Cyberonics), as well as Kim and Dan supporting us, I believe that our expanded fleet will be needed sooner rather than later.

So thank you to our great mobile team -- Amy, Cindy, Adriana, Ana, Donna, Kemper, Lilia, Maria, Pepper, Rosa, Tabitha, Tran, and Tressa.

You ALL warmed my heart this week. And that’s the best way to get through a cold week in Houston! 

 

Dorothy Gibbons is the Co-Founder and CEO of The Rose.

Why The Rose Exists -- Dorothy Gibbons Offers One Answer (of many)

Every organization must answer the question – in good times and especially in bad.

Why?  Why do we exist?

I know what our mission says. I know what our Annual Report shows.  But sometimes it pays to walk away from the details and the data and just listen.

A week ago, I met the owners of several Twin Peaks restaurants that held events in October and raised an amazing $43,886 for The Rose.

John, one of the three brothers and franchisees, took the time to share a story.  He explained that they also own a Mexican restaurant in Needville and on a weekly visit there, he noticed that one of his employees was absent.  When he asked why, he learned she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.  A few weeks later he caught up with her, and asked how she was doing.  She said, “I was sent to The Rose and they took care of everything.”

“Her story ‘sealed the deal’,” John said noting that they had already been in discussions about wanting to support a local organization with their efforts. Then he added, “That’s why everyone worked so hard to make the events so successful.”

Imagine the chances of this happening.  John wanted to raise money to “fight” breast cancer and his employee is sent to the one place whose reputation for “taking caring of everything” is second to none!
She had no idea that his other restaurants were raising money for The Rose, and John had no idea one of his own would be cared for by us.

Coincidence?  No … God.

And one of the reasons why The Rose exists.

Dorothy Gibbons' Annual Letter to the Staff

Dorothy Gibbons, the CEO and Co-Founder of The Rose, has prepared an annual letter to the staff every holiday season since The Rose began operations. We're sharing this year's with you!

Dear Staff,

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, one of our board members attended a Celebration of Life for her son.  He was only 46 years old.  I kept thinking how young he was and felt so sad.  While I cannot fathom even a smidgen of her grief, I have a son the same age, and wondered how I would handle such a loss.

When I consider that some of you are dealing with similar losses and think about how many of our women are facing their own final battle I am reminded once again of why we do what we do. Recently, Helen, our longest living volunteer, was in the hospital fighting for her life.   Thank goodness she’s ok now, but those days of worrying were endless!

So we ponder this thing called life.  Didn’t Gale, our speaker at the November meeting, make us intimately aware of how silly we are to get so involved in the busy-ness of life and how much value we place on what we think folks ‘expect’ of us?  When we lose what is ‘us’ the essence of who we are and who we love and maybe more importantly who loves us, we are truly alone. 

The word “busy” consists of two symbols in Chinese which mean: Heart and Killing. 

Let us make a promise to each other that we never get ‘too busy’ to tell someone we work with that we appreciate them, or someone we love that we could not imagine life without them.

My holiday wish for you and for The Rose is that we remember what comprises our core values and by God, that no matter what our individual job titles may be, there is not one position here that could ever be considered just a “job.” If you don’t believe that, let me introduce you to all the women we helped, women who did not have a chance or an option except for The Rose.

No matter what, you are making an incredible difference in this world.  You are helping a woman live another month or a year or ten years.  And, if you still have a doubt of the value of you and your work , then go talk to Donna, our board member,  and ask her what that additional month would have meant to her son or his children. 

The Rose doesn’t cure this disease called cancer; what we do is give women a little more time. 

Time to tell those they love how much each person means to them, time to arrange for a child’s future, time to hug again.  Donna’s son didn’t have that time.  He was here one day and gone the next.  He never had that chance to share, or hug, or say ‘I love you’ one last time.

Don’t you dare let another day pass without doing that.  Whoever you love, be it child, mate, parent, or co-worker, friend, neighbor or colleague, go now…right now… and let them know how much you care. 

There isn’t a human being on this planet that isn’t hungry for love and appreciation.  That is a gift only you can give!  Send the email, write the note, or pick up the darn phone and call them.  Try it. Nothing you could wrap up in a box would ever have the same meaning as THAT call from you.

May your holidays be rich in ways that cannot be purchased in any store.   You are a gift to me and one that I will forever cherish.

All the best to you and yours,

 

Dorothy

Great Day for a Pinknic ... And for FUNdraising for The Rose

A gorgeous day, a breathtaking setting, supportive sponsors, hard-working volunteers and the commitment of event organizers Kathy Morgan, Beth Dennard and Bonnie Sawyer made Pinknic one of the top ten fundraisers for The Rose in a month of awareness-building for the nonprofit breast health organization.

Carothers Coastal Gardens in Seabrook provided the perfect backdrop to the pink covered tables, pink-infused auction-items, pink lunch bags and even a pink-adorned and statuesque pelican which helped bring the day’s fundraising efforts to more than $12,200. 

 “To everyone who bid on the bounty of auction items, enjoyed the delightful picnic lunches and baked goods as well as the music by Mickey Hobbs, we cannot say enough ‘thank you’s’,” noted Dorothy Gibbons, CEO and Co-Founder of The Rose. “Your support truly enables The Rose to take ‘me to the second power’ and multiply our efforts throughout 25 counties.”

Gibbons was referencing the recently launched Me2 campaign of The Rose which encourages women to think “me, too” and make their health a priority while simultaneously acknowledging the community’s role in the nonprofit’s ongoing provision of services to the uninsured. While October is deemed “breast cancer awareness month” nationwide, The Rose depends on the numerous fundraising efforts that are scheduled on top of the educational events. In November, The Rose announced a record-breaking 83 fundraisers were put on by schools, sports teams, beauty product retailers, restaurants and bars in support of The Rose, bringing in more than $235,000.

And while organizers and The Rose staff are grateful for the incoming funds which will help cover the costs of the nearly 10,000 women who need some level of financial assistance annually, the event made an additional impact on the Seabrook community. Beth Dennard reported that Dodie Miller, owner of Miller Machines in Seabrook, who won the Pelican of Seabrook’s Pelican Path Project, intends to donate his newly acquired and soon to be painted pelican to the Seabrook Fire Department.

The Rose -- currently with two locations and a mobile fleet that extends to 25 counties -- has been serving the Bay area for all 27 years of its existence, and the commitment continues. Last year, 9,571 Bay Area residents were provided screenings and 2,064 received diagnostic services. Of those, 111 had their cancers detected.

Pinknic sponsors and underwriters for the inaugural event included Bright Futures Consulting, the City of Seabrook, Libby Jones, realtor with Gary Greene, Smith Analytical, Bolivar RV Resort, Hill’s Discount Liquor, Neptune Subs, Panera Bread, Robinette Catering, Arlan’s, Kroger, Randalls, and Classic Café, Cake Place.

"30 for Ana" Turns into 30 Miles AND More than $30,000!

Before Ana Barron Garcia passed away from Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) at 35 years of age, she was on a mission to educate her community on the little known but deadly form of breast cancer which often strikes Hispanic women. After her death, her family continued her mission. In October they also honored her memory and provided for women like her with their “30 for Ana” Run benefitting The Rose, the nonprofit breast health organization where her cancer was diagnosed.
Not only did the 25 runners cover 30 miles, they also exceeded their $25,000 goal and raised more than $31,000 to support uninsured women who need screening or diagnostic services at The Rose.

As a result, “30 for Ana” was the top non-corporate fundraiser for The Rose in October. In November, The Rose announced a record-breaking 83 fundraisers were put on by schools, sports teams, beauty product retailers, restaurants and bars in support of The Rose. And those activities brought in more than $235,000 in what is nationally deemed “breast cancer awareness month.”

"It was very important to us that we give back to The Rose.  The Rose was instrumental in Ana's diagnosis and supported her along her journey,” said Daniel Barron, Ana’s brother, who initiated the fundraiser last year along with his sister Sandra, brother Johnny, and Ana’s husband Gerry Garcia. “During her battle, Ana was also an advocate for The Rose and helped to educate and spread awareness of Inflammatory Breast Cancer.  As Ana's Angels, we want to continue Ana's mission of spreading IBC awareness, and using that as our driving force, raise money for The Rose." 

The early morning run covered a route intentionally designed to trace many of the significant stops on Ana’s journey as she battled the disease -- MD Anderson, Houston Hospice, The Rose – and concluded at Grandview Cemetery in Deer Park where Ana is buried.

Six years younger than Ana and an avid runner, Daniel told the crowd gathered to celebrate the successful run that it was a small way to connect with his sister’s ability to endure physical challenges as she fought the disease. “Running 30 miles isn’t anything compared to going through cancer but you do have to push yourself,” he noted.

While last year’s run was focused on four individuals covering the 30 miles, this year teams were formed in order to make shorter distances an option. The shorter distances meant Ana’s children Bryanna, now 13, and son Maverick who is nine years old was able to run alongside (and sometimes ahead) of their father, Gerry, who is not a sport runner but still participates in the event at the 30 mile level.

Runners included: Aurora Pecero, Bryanna Garcia, Cathy Capetillo-Malone, Crissy Pena, Daniel Barron, Diana Tejeda, Erin Villasenor, Gerry Garcia, Ginger Stagg, Helen Martinez-Barron, Jeremy Peña, Jesse Pena, John Barron, John Reid, Jonathan Pena, Jorge Olvera, Julie Cruz, Julio Aguilar, Kevin Pena, Leticia Peña Martinez, Lucia Vasquez, Mark Ramos, Miranda Romero, Roxy Riggs-Mounter, Sandra Aguilar, Valerie Ramos, Veronica Ramos, and Vicki Sheppard.

Dorothy Gibbons, CEO and Co-Founder of The Rose joined family and friends who met at the grave to welcome the runners at the completion of the half-day event.

“Ana was special to us in so many ways,” said Gibbons. “She was not just a patient. She volunteered. She educated others about how aggressive Inflammatory Breast Cancer can be. And she lit up the room with that gorgeous smile. I know she would be smiling now at how compassionate and generous her family has been to the women we continue to serve.”

Supporters who helped make the large donation possible included family, friends, as well as organizations and businesses such as The Corridor Shops in the Heights, Dr. Shirley Parikh with Bristles Family Dentistry, and University of Houston Alumni with Cougar Punch Tailgating.

For more information on The Rose, visit www.TheRose.org.

October Breast Health Awareness Month -- Week 5

Last month, you may have read about Texas government’s attempts at placing parameters on what “navigators” could do related to insurance enrollment.  With so much attention now being given to what we call Navigators and/or Community Health Workers, I’d like to once again “put a face” to the issue.

It was 2:30 and the next appointment would be with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.  Nearly 100 advocates for breast health had traveled to Austin to share with the 83^rd Legislature our support of current prevention efforts in Texas and our hopes for the future.  Six of us were scheduled for a photo op with the Lieutenant Governor.  When he arrived, he greeted each person in our delegation as the photographer arranged us. After the photographs were taken, as he was about to excuse himself, Maria stepped forward.

“I am a Community Health Worker,” she said, craning her neck to look up at him.  “I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 and I was not insured. I found help through The Rose.”

She pointed to me and quickly continued, “I would never have found treatment without The Rose. I was confused and searching for answers. And then I met my Patient Navigator. My Navigator was with me all the way. She was there to help me find doctors. She made the appointments.  I probably would have died without her.  When I got well, I realized I had to do something to help other women -- other women like me who didn’t have insurance, didn’t know what to do and needed someone to help them find treatment.  I quit my job of 15 years and went to Houston Community College for training and to become a Community Health Worker.”

I don’t know how she managed it, but in a split second suddenly a card appeared in her hand and she held it up at him.

“This is my card and it means I am a certified Community Health Worker and with it I can help women living anywhere in Texas get treatment.”

Lt. Gov. Dewhurst not only acknowledged Maria’s story, he began to ask questions. We shared that the terms Community Health Worker and Patient Navigator are used interchangeably; that at The Rose, a certified Patient Navigator takes that newly diagnosed woman by the hand and makes sure they get timely and appropriate treatment; and that our dream is to see Community Health Workers/Patient Navigators recognized as legitimate healthcare professionals with their services reimbursable under Medicare, Medicaid and all insurance companies.

He listened and then asked me if I could summarize what we had just said for the meeting he was returning to. I said, “Absolutely!” and was soon standing before several Senators reiterating the importance of Patient Navigators. Legislation being a rather slow process, we didn’t expect miracles in 2013. But thanks to Maria, we were heard.

Maria is still being heard. She is now on staff at The Rose and daily she makes the calls, finds the connections, and discovers the resources that will ensure our patients have the treatment options they need.

Dorothy Gibbons, CEO and Co-Founder of The Rose

October Breast Health Awareness Month -- Week 4

In June 2013, the Supreme Court struck a blow to the company that had had the sole ability in the U.S. to provide diagnostic testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA1 genes – testing that carried a $3,340 price tag. The Court determined that isolated human genes cannot be patented. The challenge to the company’s patents was brought by scientists, researchers and patients who believed that the patents stood in the way of further research on the genes as well as limited the availability of testing. That testing is now available … and at a lower cost.

One barrier down.

But so many barriers to preventing and ultimately curing breast cancer remain.

In Houston – of the women over age 40 – only 50% are getting their annual mammograms. For some, the issue is cost. Women are twice as likely to be covered as dependents – becoming more vulnerable to losing their insurance, or they still may be uninsured.  The Kaiser Family Foundation has done studies that reveal women delay their own health care for other reasons as well -- including lack of transportation and limited time off from work.

The Rose has made it our business throughout our 27 years of history to take on each of these barriers. We have a model whereby three insured women can help cover the cost of the uninsured woman. Community support by way of donations and sponsorships also play a tremendous role. We have Patient Navigators who help our diagnosed patients find treatment nearby and when necessary provide assistance with transportation. And our mobile fleet is growing so that we can take care directly to the workplace. In a room as small as 10 by 10, our staff can set up and start providing mammograms on site.

Yet … women still have to make the first step and make that appointment.

For many years The Rose has utilized mobile mammography traveling to local clinics to help women  get low-cost mammograms. Appointments were scheduled, yet African American women still did not come. To discover why, the Breast Health Collaborative of Texas and St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities (now Episcopal Health Charities) research team along with female leaders in the African American community implemented a study. They found that a woman often did not come because she:

•         Didn’t want to know/had a fear of finding cancer

•         Never had a mammogram before and didn’t know what to expect

•         Feared the exposure to radiation

•         Had been told mammograms are extremely painful

For that reason, Gloria Robinson now focuses on intervention. Gloria is the Community Health Worker, now employed by BHCT, who worked with patients of The Rose, counseling them by phone, addressing each of their concerns. In 2013, the data showed that this method of one-on-one communication has the ability to reduce the no-show rate for African American women from 60% to 16.7%.  Plans are already underway, when funding comes through, to continue interventions with expanded communities.

One more barrier … slowly coming down.

Dorothy Gibbons, Co-Founder and CEO of The Rose