Overview
WASHINGTON, DC (October 3, 2016) — McDermott Will & Emery is proud to share the following communication from Breast Care for Washington in recognition of the firm’s pro bono work on behalf of the medically underserved women of the District of Columbia.
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Breast Care for Washington would like to thank McDermott Will & Emery for its dedicated pro bono service that has helped us to make great strides toward reaching our goal of providing all women in the District of Columbia with access to breast cancer screening regardless of their ability to pay.
McDermott played a vital role in helping Breast Care for Washington open the doors to the first and only state-of-the-art 3D technology breast screening center east of the Anacostia River – an area of the city where there is a great need for such services. The McDermott pro bono team, which included Karen Sealander, Amandeep Sidhu, Mary Hallerman, and Guy Collier, secured a critical exemption from Certificate of Need requirements when the DC Department of Health Director determined that Breast Care for Washington’s services were “necessary for the declared public health purpose of expanding access to primary health care in the District of Columbia.”
Since opening our doors, McDermott has remained a champion of Breast Care for Washington, providing legal advice, strategic counsel, and hosting events at the Firm’s beautiful DC office location.
With McDermott’s help, Breast Care for Washington is celebrating its 2nd year of providing patient services to over 2,000 patients. We have diagnosed 20 cases of cancer, a rate that is twice the national average. All these women have been navigated into treatment and Breast Care for Washington is committed to be its patients’ advocate throughout their cancer journey. 40% of our patients are receiving their first mammogram ever at an average age of 51 and the majority of patients are from the District’s Wards 7 and 8.
Breast Care for Washington provides care to patients with stories similar to that of Sheryce, a 32 year old woman who discovered a lump in her breast and contacted Breast Care for Washington after being turned away at two other imaging facilities because of her lack of insurance. Once Sheryce reached the staff at Breast Care for Washington, she was immediately seen and provided with the diagnostic care she needed. Sheryce’s diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer is a challenging one, but Breast Care for Washington remains by her side, committed to helping her in any way possible during her cancer battle.
Breast Care for Washington is passionate about its mission to provide services to ANY woman regardless of her ability to pay. 30% of the women we see have no insurance. Turned away from other medical facilities, these women have no place else to go. With essential support from McDermott Will & Emery, Breast Care for Washington has become THE resource for uninsured women with breast issues in the Washington DC area.
About Breast Care for Washington
Breast Care for Washington (BCW) was founded in 2012 as a community-centered breast cancer screening organization to enhance access to breast cancer screening and care among medically underserved women in the Washington, DC area. Our founders are two local women – Dr. Regina Hampton, a breast surgeon and Beth Beck, former Executive Director of Capital Breast Care Center. The programs and services of BCW are innovative and embed breast cancer screening within a federally qualified healthcare center (FQHC) located in the District of Columbia’s Ward 8. BCW’s service facility is the first and only comprehensive breast cancer screening facility with 3D technology east of the Anacostia River.
The primary goal of Breast Care for Washington is to make breast cancer screening readily available and accessible to all women, especially those who receive their care from community health systems. Breast Care for Washington’s mission is to reduce breast cancer mortality in the Washington, DC area by promoting access to breast cancer screening, diagnostics, and treatment to all women regardless of their ability to pay. http://breastcaredc.org/
