Published on April 18, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Lisa Berry
Lisa.Berry@preventcancer.org
703-519-2107
Alexandria, VA – The Prevent Cancer Foundation® is honoring leaders in cancer prevention and early detection with its annual “Laurels Awards” for national leadership, community service and advocacy. The awards will be presented at the 2017 Dialogue for Action® conference on cancer screening and prevention this Thursday in a ceremony hosted by former ABC 7 news reporter Greta Kreuz.
“The individuals we are honoring with Laurels this year have shown a rare commitment to reducing health disparities in our communities and making preventive health care and treatment accessible to everyone,” said Carolyn Aldigé, President and Founder of the Prevent Cancer Foundation. “Their contributions are critical to our mission of saving lives across all populations through cancer prevention and early detection. We are grateful for their work, as well as for their leadership.”
Laurel Award for National Leadership – Dr. Holly Wolf
Dr. Wolf has made significant contributions to the growth and understanding of best practices in cancer prevention and control, particularly for lung and colorectal cancers. For the past 10 years, she has been the Principal Investigator for the Colorado Colorectal Cancer Screening program, which develops and implements colorectal cancer screening throughout Colorado for low-income populations. This program has been instrumental in providing an evidence base for the effectiveness of colonoscopy screening and the benefit of patient navigation on a national scale. Dr. Wolf serves on many state and national coalitions and is committed to decreasing health disparities for underserved populations.
Laurel Award for Community Service – Dr. Gina Villani
Dr. Gina Villani is a board certified medical oncologist, hematologist and internist and for the past four years has been the CEO and Medical Director of the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention (RLC). In this role, she has organized a Breast Nurse Navigator Program, created a nutrition program for individualized nutrition counseling and education, initiated a smoking cessation and lung cancer screening program, and increased assistance for insurance and disability enrollment. Dr. Villani has received the Women of Excellence in Medicine Award, The Outstanding Teaching Award from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Syracuse and the Citation of Honor from the Queens Borough president.
Laurel Award for Advocacy – Mr. Brian Hummell
Mr. Brian Hummell is the Arizona Director of Government Relations for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, where he advocates statewide for the health and wellness of all Arizonans. Mr. Hummell has worked to ensure that uninsured women diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer in Arizona have access to treatment coverage; that Medicaid is expanded to provide increased coverage to low-income Arizonans; that cancer patients in Arizona have access to oral chemotherapy; and that state funds for breast and cervical cancer screening programs remain intact. He is a leader on the Arizona Cancer Coalition and initiated the Arizona Cancer Summit.
About the Dialogue for Action® conference on cancer screening and prevention
The Dialogue for Action® is an annual national conference that convenes a diversity of stakeholders committed to realizing the lifesaving potential of cancer screening and prevention for all communities. The Dialogue emphasizes evidence-based cancer screening according to guidelines.
Since 2013, the Dialogue for Action® expanded to include the mandated guidelines-driven cancer screenings (colorectal, cervical, breast and now lung cancer screenings) and also covered issues related to other cancer screenings (prostate, oral and skin).
About The Prevent Cancer Foundation®
The Prevent Cancer Foundation® is one of the nation’s leading voluntary health organizations and the only U.S. nonprofit focused solely on cancer prevention and early detection. Founded in 1985, it has catapulted cancer prevention to prominence and fulfills its mission through research, education, outreach and advocacy across the country.
For more information, please visit www.preventcancer.org.
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