EVENTS
Plans Have Changed . Our Mission Has Not .
t is hard to accept that 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic , we once again find ourselves in the middle of a serious and rising surge . However , despite the difficult decision to cancel our 2021 Celebrating Women luncheon , we know a pandemic does not stop breast cancer .
The complicated maze of cancer care can be overwhelming , and the pandemic has caused a considerable increase in barriers to care and resource needs for patients and families who are now facing a cancer diagnosis . Funds from this year ’ s Celebrating Women effort will help support programs like patient navigation and positively impact care for thousands of women , including those in underserved communities , facing a breast cancer diagnosis in North Texas this year .
These navigators play a crucial role in the care of our oncology patients ,
resulting in improved communication , increased knowledge of diagnosis , better understanding of next steps and care planning and improved skill sets to self-advocate . As visitors are limited due to COVID-19 , many of our patients are facing their care without their loved ones by their side . Thanks to the support from
our patient navigators , we can help ensure women battling breast cancer never feel alone on their journey .
For more information on Celebrating Women or to support this effort , contact Christina Goodman at 214.820.4408 or Christina . Goodman @ BSWHealth . org .
Our goal for this year ’ s Celebrating Women effort is to raise $ 1 million , which can help support patient navigators like Stacey Webb .
Funds from this year ’ s Celebrating Women effort will help support patient navigators like Stacey Webb ( left ), so they can help more women in our community navigate a breast cancer diagnosis .
Letter from the Chair
The events of the past year and a half have a word coming to my mind frequently : Endurance .
Those of us who watched the Games of the XXXII Olympiad , the Summer Olympics and Paralympics held recently in Tokyo , saw athletes who seem to specialize in endurance . From pushing their bodies to the upper limits of human potential to waiting ( and training ) an entire year longer than they had originally planned , it ’ s hard not to think of the word endurance while cheering them on .
I enjoyed watching the personal stories of those athletes who refuse to be limited by so many things on their way to chasing an Olympic dream . That ’ s inspiration from which we can all learn .
Endurance also comes to mind when thinking about patients living with long-term illness or chronic disease who endure challenges on a daily basis . I think of people like Cathy Gero , who bravely battles cancer ; organ transplant recipients ; and the children , senior citizens and others for whom staying healthy is that much harder in the midst of this pandemic . They refuse to be limited by their conditions , but are working extra hard to stay healthy and stay engaged .
And the term endurance most aptly applies to our frontline caregivers , who are persevering through a surge in
COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant . Brave individuals at Baylor Scott & White have continued to give their all , taking the brunt of the weight of this pandemic while continuing to provide compassionate , quality care to the individuals they serve . They are truly the superheroes of our time , and we find ourselves eternally grateful for their willpower .
Data suggests that the pandemic fight is far from over . Risks persist and now it is our youth and the unvaccinated who may face the burden in the next wave . I personally feel we must avoid vaccine overconfidence , stay diligent and continue to do our part to keep our community safe .
Baylor Scott & White stands ready to support the long haul and anything that comes our way . We are uniquely positioned to do so and called to do so . Let ’ s show those trying to save lives that we care about theirs .
Stay safe and healthy ,
Norm Bagwell Chair , Board of Directors Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation
To learn more about any Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation initiative , contact the Foundation at 214.820.3136 or email
DallasFoundation @ BSWHealth . org . Write to us at 3600 Gaston Avenue , Barnett Tower Suite 100 , Dallas , TX 75246-1800 .
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