On September 13th, VBCF hosted our second annual Breast Health Provider Summit. We had presentations from multiple experts, educating providers, organizational partners, and advocates on a variety of hot topics related to breast cancer care.
The morning started with an icebreaker activity, where our audience got to know each other better and understand each other’s roles in the breast cancer space. We love providing an opportunity for breast surgeons to talk to mastectomy bra fitters and oncologists to talk to advocates. We then learned about fertility preservation from Dr. Grace Graham of Shady Grove Fertility, particularly through the lens of caring for an oncology patient. Pink Ribbon Boutique staff shared information about mastectomy bras and informed providers on practical and insurance patient challenges in getting fitted.
Dr. Kara Wiseman from UVA then educated the audience about the relationship between alcohol and cancer, particularly in women, where the effect can be more pronounced and increases the risk of developing breast cancer. Dr. Drew Townsend from the National Institutes of Health discussed marijuana and how the potential change in federal regulations could impact cancer care. Back by popular demand from last year, a team from VCU focused on cardio-oncology featuring Dr. David Chuquin, Dr. Wendy Bottinor, and Dr. Arnethea Sutton provided more detail about their pivotal work in caring for breast cancer patients’ heart health before, during, and after active treatment.
We closed the day with our provider panel, where there was a Q&A session featuring physicians from different specialties. This was another opportunity to break down some of those professional silos that can develop between specialties and helped everyone learn more about the challenges and opportunities that exist at different points in the breast cancer care continuum.
We have loved hosting these Provider Summits over the past two years and want to hear from you about what we should do next! What topics do you think breast healthcare providers should learn more about? Do you want to help us plan our next Summit? Reach out to Erin Steigleder, Director of Programs, at erin@vbcf.org.
