Advocate Trinity Hospital’s Gala Raises Funds to Benefit Breast Cancer Research Initiatives

Lee Edwards | As of Thursday, October 2, 2014

Community leader Betty Porter (l) receives the Barbara Minster award from Trinity Hospital President Michelle Gaskill (r).
Community leader Betty Porter (l) receives the Barbara Minster award from Trinity Hospital President Michelle Gaskill (r).

Advocate Trinity Hospital, 2320 E. 93rd St., hosted its 2014 gala, Shades of Pink: The Tapestry of Trinity at the Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Dr., on Sept. 20 in order to raise funds to benefit Breast Health Initiatives at the facility.

“The funds raised from the Shades of Pink gala will enable the hospital to pursue attainment of the newest digital technologies that can identify very small breast tumors that would otherwise be undetectable,” said Michelle Gaskill, Advocate Trinity Hospital President. “If we can find breast cancers earlier, we can treat them and save lives. This gives patients in our south side community every opportunity to live their healthiest and best lives and this is the mission of Trinity."

photo
Dr. Ari Mintz, Barbara Minster award recipient: Trinity medical staff member, Dr. Ari D. Mintz, was a honored recipient of the Barbara Minster award at the Shades of Pink: The Tapestry of Trinity Gala held at the Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Dr., on Sept. 20, 2014.

The gala honored community leader Betty D. Porter and Trinity medical staff member, Dr. Ari D. Mintz, for their commitment to enhancing the quality of life for residents of Chicago's south side by helping to support and provide excellent health care and other critical human services at Trinity Hospital.

“With breast cancer as a major issue on the horizon effecting women, one of eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lives, we decided that ‘yes, this is a major area of need’ and it’s our goal to meet the needs of our community in that way,” said Jessika Castillo, Public Affairs and Marketing Intern for Advocate Trinity Hospital, when asked by The Chicago Citizen Newspaper as to how the theme, Shades of Pink: The Tapestry of Trinity, was decided upon.

This year, Trinity Hospital honors all breast cancer survivors, and continues their pledge to tackle the disease by committing all gala proceeds to bringing the community a new technology. The gold standard in breast imaging, full-field digital mammography with tomosynthesis, vastly improves diagnostic capabilities and generates a 3-D image that minimizes the effects of overlapping structures in the breast, making it especially useful for women with dense breast tissue. This technique not only more accurately detects cancers, but also reduces false positives and unnecessary recalls—and the anxiety that comes with them.

"Scanning for breast cancer is an extremely important issue nowadays with breast cancer affecting one out of every eight women with a mortality rate over 30 percent,” said Dr. Ari Mintz, Trinity radiologist and Barbara Minster award recipient. “It is very serious and should be taken that way. Current screening is good but not perfect. We miss about 20 percent of cancers in mammogram where the cancer is camouflaged by the breast. A new technology called 3D mammography or tomosynethsis has arrived. This is a wonderful technology that increase the rate of detecting cancers in 25 to 50 percent of cases."

Breast cancer awareness and mammogram testing are particularly important for African American women. According to the City of Chicago's Department of Public Health's (CDPH) 2011 study, Healthy Chicago, in 2007 the breast cancer mortality rate (36.8) for African American women was 48% higher than the rate among Caucasians (24.8) per 100,000 people. The study concluded that over a nine year span, 1999 to 2007, the disparity between African American women and Caucasian women’s mortality rate due to breast cancer was at its highest in 2005. African American women’s mortality rate was 43.2 and Caucasian women’s mortality rate was 21.8.

For information on how to support breast health initiatives at Trinity Hospital please contact Ann Hartnett at 708.684.5206 or ann.hartnett2@advocatehealth.com

Latest Stories

Latest Podcast

A.L. Smith - Harold Washington Legacy Committee