Taking Steps to End Women's Cancers: Heel to Heal	Print Issue
November 16, 2010, Volume 57, No. 12

Penn Medicine recently hosted a special event during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, “Taking Steps to End Women’s Cancers: Heel to Heal” to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Rena Rowan Breast Center and the fifth anniversary of the Jordan Center for Gynecologic Cancer at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center (Almanac December 16/23, 1997). The event also marked the official launch of the new MacDonald Women’s Cancer Risk Evaluation Center, which aims to help women who are at high risk of breast and ovarian cancers. “Heel to Heal” marked a decade of ground-breaking research and treatment at the Rena Rowan Breast Center (Almanac October 10, 2000).

A decade ago, Rena Rowan Damone and her husband Vic Damone created the Rena Rowan Breast Center which she described as her gift “to those whose lives, like mine, have been affected by breast cancer.” The Center has a multi-disciplinary team which provides coordinated care in a supportive, caring environment.

Last month’s event also marked the fifth anniversary of the Jordan Center for Gynecologic Cancer, established by Barbara (Barrie) McNeil Jordan and her late husband, Dr. Henry A. Jordan, M’62, RES’67 (Almanac April 27, 2010). “Henry and I have been proud to be a part of building a state-of-the-art facility for women’s health at Penn,” Mrs. Jordan had said. The Center harnesses the combined expertise of Penn physicians and scientists from across the Health System.

The new Mariann and Robert MacDonald Women’s Cancer Risk Evaluation Center will build on the research done in Penn’s Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risk Evaluation Program, the first in the country to be established. Mrs. MacDonald said, “I have been a cancer survivor for 16 years. Bob and I are more than proud to establish the new Center. I have a daughter and granddaughter—maybe they won’t have to worry about getting cancer.” The proceeds of the 2011 Philadelphia Antiques Show will benefit ovarian cancer at Penn Medicine.

Mr. Muller said, “because of our leading philanthropists, today we offer better therapies and greater hope to our patients with breast, ovarian, uterine, cervical and other gynecologic cancers.”

Dr. Rubenstein thanked the donors for their “visionary philanthropy” and “vote of confidence in our work and your extraordinary compassion for our patients.”                 

UPHS CEO Ralph W. Muller, Mariann MacDonald, Barbara McNeil Jordan and Arthur H. Rubenstein, EVP of the University for the Health System and Dean of the School of Medicine, at the “Heel to Heal” event during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.