PA Breast Cancer Coalition - Blog » breast cancer

Pat Halpin-Murphy Named Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania

Amy — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:00:34 +0000

PBCC President & Founder Pat Halpin-Murphy was recently elected as a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania. Pat was presented with a medal and a citation by Governor Tom Corbett and First Lady Susan Corbett during an event at the Governor’s Residence. “The exceptional accomplishments of this talented group of women bring both honor and respect to Pennsylvania,” Governor Corbett said. “I am grateful for their continued commitment to making our state a better place.”

Pat was chosen for this honor because of her tireless work with the PBCC, as well as her service on Pennsylvania’s Cancer Advisory Board, and co-chairing the Pennsylvania Refunds for Research Committee. She also serves on a number of national boards and commissions and co-authored Breast Cancer: Covered or Not? A Guide on Insurance..

The Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania was established in 1948 as a way to honor women who have shown distinguished service through a professional career and/or voluntary service.

Survivor Spotlight: Let It Shine On You!

Amy — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:58:02 +0000

Each month we turn the spotlight on a breast cancer survivor living in Pennsylvania and tell their unique story. This month, in honor of breast cancer awareness month, we encourage all breast cancer survivors to share their experience with those around them. Let the sharing of your story be a release for you; motivate others to get the mammogram they’ve been putting off; reassure someone in the midst of their breast cancer journey. Add your story and your voice to the collective understanding of what life is like for women with breast cancer.

If you’d like to share your story with the PBCC, please email Amy at Amy@PABreastCancer.org. If you are able to tell of your experience in 400 words or less, we may feature you in a future FrontLine or PinkLink newsletter.

2012 PBCC Conference a Tremendous Success

Amy — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:57:33 +0000

For the past 19 years, the PBCC has been improving the lives of Pennsylvanians. Each year we gather in Harrisburg for a great day of educational workshops, networking and for the opportunity to hear from dynamite speakers and experts in the field of breast cancer from all across PA. The 2012 Conference was no exception. Click here for a video. With nearly 1,000 attendees over the 2-day event, we showed how easy it is to turn Awareness into Action!

The four individuals that we honored embody how the power of one can change the lives of many. Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz, abc27 anchor Alicia Richards, Dr. Nancy Davidson from University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and motivational speaker and breast cancer survivor Tammy Miller all spoke about what drives them to make a difference in the lives of others and how they turn awareness in action.

Thank you to all who attended this great event! Photos and recaps from the Conference will be online soon!

Save the date for the 2013 PA Breast Cancer Coalition Conference as we showcase “The Power of Pink” and celebrate our 20th Anniversary. We hope you will join us on Tuesday, October 15, 2013! Look for more information over the coming months!

The PBCC is Turning Awareness Into Action

Amy — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:55:12 +0000

At the PA Breast Cancer Coalition, we turn awareness into action. To us it has never been about just wearing pink – it has been about gathering advocates, survivors and healthcare professionals together each October for the PBCC Conference, assisting those who have breast cancer and qualify for free treatment with getting the treatment they need and deserve, establishing the Refunds for Research program to give taxpayers a way to fund research happening here in Pennsylvania.

It has been about creating an insurance guidebook to help women navigate complex insurance issues and bringing our 67 Women, 67 Counties exhibit to communities throughout the state; motivating state legislators to enact legislation to improve the lives of breast cancer survivors. This is just a snap shot of what we do. In everything we do – whether it is answering a phone call or email or driving around the state in our pink van – we turn awareness into action. We hope to inspire you to turn awareness into action in your community as well.

2012 Home Run Derby Heavy Hitters

Kristen — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:16:25 +0000

The 5^th Annual Take a Swing Against Breast Cancer® home run derby was a smashing success throughout the entire month of July, thanks to our generous sponsors, 175 volunteers, 91 teams and 10 individual batters. Check out the 2012 highlight video here. This year brought a record-breaking 40 home runs: including 5 by Kevin Becker of Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, 7 by Joe Oliphant of Neuman’s Crew, 8 by John Furlong of Furlong Boys. Total scores have been tallied and the results are in from across the state, hats off to our winners:

TOP TEN TEAMS

Furlong Boys Team 2—2,105 points
Neuman’s Crew – 2,050 points
PeoplesBank Team 3—1,895 points
Cross’ Crusaders – 1,795 points
TESCO Tools Team 2 — 1,760 points
Furlong Boys Team 1 – 1,745 points
Community State Bank of Orbisonia – 1,580 points
Icing on the Lake Team 2 — 1,575 points
Guns of Roses Team 1 – 1,560 Points
UTI Power -1,545 points

TOP FIVE INDIVIDUAL BATTERS

Bill Klenoshek – 675 points
Blair Beer — 400 points
Jeffrey Lengle – 375 points
Adam Edmonds- 350 points
Scott Bell- 335 points

Congratulations and a huge THANK YOU to everyone who was a part of this year’s home run derby at each of the 8 stadiums. With your help, we not only raised nearly $90,000 for the PBCC but also increased awareness in communities throughout the state. For complete results from each location, be sure to read each stadium recap on our blog. Start practicing now and you could see your name published here next year at our 2013 Take a Swing Against Breast Cancer!

Update on Breast Density Screening Legislation

Amy — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 13:58:31 +0000

Senator Bob Mensch from Montgomery County introduced legislation regarding breast density screening and insurance coverage for MRI screening. No committee meeting has yet been scheduled to consider the bill. Can you help by contacting your state senator and asking him or her to help bring the bill up for a hearing before the end of the legislative session? Click here to find your state senator’s contact information.

The first of the two bills would require certified FDA facilities to provide patients with information related to their breast density and post a notice advising women with dense breast tissue that they may benefit from supplemental screening such as a breast MRI. The second bill would amend existing law to extend mandated insurance coverage to ultrasound and MRI screening if a mammogram shows dense breast tissue.

“Mammogram films of breasts with higher density are harder to read and interpret than those of less dense breasts,” said Senator Mensch. “Breast density is one of the strongest predictors of the failure of mammography screening to detect cancer, with a mammogram missing at least 40% of tumors in women with the densest breasts.”

Senator Mensch’s staff member Terry Gillen said, “Kudos to the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition for raising this important issue. As a breast cancer survivor, I know that we need to provide women with more information and more options regarding dense breast tissue diagnosis.”

Young Survivor Denied Coverage for Reconstruction

Amy — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 13:57:26 +0000

The PBCC counts among its many legislative victories the Breast Cancer Reconstructive Surgery Coverage Act – which mandates that insurers cover the cost of reconstructive surgery for breast cancer survivors. So when the PBCC learned from WGAL that Courtney Morrison’s insurer was not going to cover a second reconstruction to correct a problem after her first, we knew we had to get to the bottom of the issue. Click here for the WGAL story.

The Breast Cancer Reconstructive Surgery Coverage Act, passed in 1997, requires insurers to cover the cost of reconstructive surgery after mastectomy and symmetry of the breasts within six years. However, Courtney’s employer is self-insured, and under the current legislation, self-insured employers are exempt from the requirement to cover the surgery. We hope that, with our help, Courtney’s situation will be resolved and she will be able to get coverage for the surgery.

Thank You Heather Hibshman, Welcome Jennifer Pensinger

Amy — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 13:56:08 +0000

When the PBCC began nearly 20 years ago, we were a small organization with a large mission: finding a cure for breast cancer now…so our daughters won’t have to. At the time, we had just a few employees to help us achieve that goal. Heather Hibshman is one of those people whose hard work and dedication allowed us to grow strong in our first few years.

We were blessed to have her enthusiasm and dedication, and she rose through the ranks of the organization to eventually become our Executive Director. She earned many accolades for her tireless work. Thank you, Heather, for your 18 years of leadership and service to the PBCC and best wishes in your next endeavor! You will be truly missed.

I am pleased to announce that our Program Director, Jennifer Pensinger, has jumped in to the Executive Director role. Jennifer, who reached her 10th anniversary with the Coalition on August 5, brings great leadership, passion, and a thorough knowledge of the PBCC as an organization. We are thrilled that she accepted the position and look forward to her many contributions as Executive Director.

Bats, boas and Barnstormers: Lancaster teams Take a Swing Against Breast Cancer®

Natalie — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 17:22:59 +0000

What a perfect way to wrap up derby season 2012! 15 teams and 2 individual sluggers battled it out on the field for bragging rights and those coveted pink bats this past Saturday at the home of the Lancaster Barnstormers. After a rain-out earlier this month, our dedicated batters and volunteers showed their support yet again with an incredible turnout. In the end, “Guns of Roses Team 1″ from the Lancaster Police Department secured the top spot with 1,560 points. The group enters the derby each year to support their co-worker, Judy, a breast cancer survivor of two years. The day’s highest individual score went to Greg Gunter of Team UTI who smashed two homers over the Clipper Magazine Stadium fence and racked up 535 points!

Here is a complete look at this weekend’s standings:

Guns of Roses Team 1 – 1,560 Points (Lancaster winners!)

UTI Team 1 – 1,545 points (Greg Gunter with 2 home runs!)

Swinging for 2nd - 1,280 points

UTI Team 2 - 1,240 points

Guns of Roses Team 2 – 1,220

RKL – 1,170

Wells Fargo Team 2 – 1,150

Susquehanna Bank Team 2 – 1,025

Susquehanna Bank Team 1 – 975

Scared Hitless – 920

Wells Fargo Team 1 – 890

Dart Container Team 1 – 885

Dart Container Team 2 - 860

Team Emerald Team 2 – 830

Team Emerald Team 1 – 745

Individual Batter Scott Bell – 335

Individual Batter Judy Millan – 115

Congratulations to our home run hitter!

Greg Gunter - 2

Thank you to the awesome staff and crew at Clipper Magazine Stadium for making Derby #8 a success! You can check out all of the Lancaster Derby photos by clicking here. Don’t forget to stay up-to-date on PBCC news and events by following us on Twitter and Facebook!

Did we have fun or what? Derby season would not have been complete without every one of our batters, volunteers and spectators! Thank you for all of your hard work and support as we fight to find a cure to this disease. We hope to see you again soon!

Batters of all ages step up to the plate in Altoona

Kristen — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 14:26:47 +0000

On Wednesday, July 25, batters, fans and a plethora of volunteers came out to the Peoples Natural Gas Field, home of the Altoona Curve, to participate in the second-to-last home run derby of the season. Take a Swing Against Breast Cancer® at the Altoona Curve started out with a group of “little sluggers” stepping up to the plate to take their turn at the batting cage. This group, comprised of 3 batters under the age of 15, knocked off the socks of spectators as they made some incredible hits to the outfield and truly held their ground. Look out for this group in the years to come at Altoona!

Thanks to all of our teams, and the groups of volunteers who stayed with us throughout the day to shag balls in the outfield as the sun beat down on them…that’s dedication! We had groups from AT&T, Best Buy, YTI Career Institute and the Altoona Curve Junior. We couldn’t have been there without you, thanks for your support!

Check out the list of teams below, and our solo home run hitter!

Community State Bank of Orbisonia – 1,580 points (Altoona Winners!)
Central PA Community Foundation – 1,170 points
PSU Altoona Grounds Crew – 785 points
The Sky’s the Limit – 780 points

Home Run Hitters:

Scott Knepper from Community State Bank of Orbisonia—1

Thanks to everyone who came out, including the staff of the Altoona Curve for their help and enthusiasm at our event. View all of the photos from the Altoona Derby at Peoples Natural Gas Field here.