2010 V2 Perkins Perspective

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www.marybird.org

Volume 2 2010

…Page 4 …Page 14 …Page 16 Greg Henkelmann, M.D., radiation oncologist, holding the computer-fabricated Bolus.

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What Our

In This Issue

Patients Say Patients completing treatment at all Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Centers are given an anonymous quality of care questionnaire. Below are some thoughts patients at each Center shared after completing their treatment.

Mary Bird is by far the best center. This is my third cycle of radiation. The guys in radiation are the nicest people and they really care. That is half the battle. Susan at the front desk is always so cheerful and helpful. She knows everyone by name and has a hug and a smile for all of us. I am very grateful we have MBP here in Baton Rouge.

Baton Rouge I would not know how to improve the things I had to go through. Everybody who took care of me and talked to my wife was wonderful. This has not been fun but the ones that helped me were fantastic. You have wonderful and compassionate people working for you.

Covington The whole staff was very efficient in everything they did. They treated us like family and reassured me that there is hope after cancer. Enjoyed seeing their faces.

Gonzales My family and I are very happy and grateful for the treatment and care I received. Everyone goes over the top to help the patients through their treatments. We give Mary Bird Perkins an A+. Keep up the good work. God bless you.

Hammond The therapist explained every step that was being done. Every day before treatment, both therapists asked how I am feeling that day. My opinion is that from when I walk through the front door till I leave every day, it is a very welcoming environment. We are always laughing and joking.

Houma

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My Perspective New Individualized Treatment Celebrating 40 Years Passionate Employees

Features 8 14 16 17 21 22 28

President’s Councils Expand Fight Cancer Campaign Update Record Year of Screenings Gonzales Volunteer TeamMBP CancerFit Program Foundation News

Become a Partner in the Fight Today!

Stay Connected The Mary Bird Perkins Perspective is published by the Center’s Communications Department to provide information about news and programs of interest to the medical community, cancer patients and their families, donors and friends of the Center.

Communications Department (225) 215-1225 2

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My Perspective A message from Todd D. Stevens, president and CEO

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s 2010 draws to a close, the hard work of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s extended family – team members, medical staff, volunteers, community leaders and partners – continues its forward momentum in the fight against cancer. Mary Bird Perkins now serves 18 parishes across southeast Louisiana. We are grateful for the commitment and support of our hospital and physician partners who are working with us to provide quality cancer care across the region, resulting in increased access to comprehensive care close to home, family and friends. The community’s generosity has made it possible for Mary Bird Perkins to provide more services than ever before as we work tirelessly to increase survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer. We are grateful to everyone who values our mission and chooses to support it. We couldn’t do it without you!

As of October, we already had a record-breaking year of free cancer screenings, with many cancers detected – someone’s mother, father, brother, sister, friend, neighbor. We believe the public is benefiting from these collaborative outreach efforts as demonstrated by findings from a recent review of our free screening programs, conducted by our friends and colleagues from Louisiana State University School of Public Health. One example shows that from 2004 to 2009, late stage diagnosis for breast cancer screening participants dropped from 71 percent to 38 percent. This means we detected fewer late-stage breast cancers in 2009 versus 2004 for the populations we screened during this period, indicating these programs resulted in catching the disease earlier – when likelihood of a positive outcome is highest.

Mary Bird Perkins continues to lead innovative research and education programs directed toward a better understanding of cancer. The Mary Bird Perkins-LSU Medical Physics team is educating tomorrow’s leaders and conducting important research.

Mission

One of the primary goals of this collaborative program is to develop better treatments for patients. This team is pursuing research for seven funded grants and as of last count has authored 12 articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals reporting on their findings. Most importantly, their work has translated to new and improved treatment techniques that have benefited hundreds of patients cared for at Mary Bird Perkins and many more throughout the world.

In 2011, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center will celebrate its 40th anniversary, honoring four remarkable decades of positively impacting the lives of cancer patients and their families – regardless of ability to pay. We humbly thank you for your support and ask that you continue to invest in this unique institution to ensure that patients and families have access to its life-saving work, now and into the future.

Sincerely,

Todd Stevens

Our promise

To improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer through expert treatment, compassionate care, early detection, research and education.

Core Values Collaboration • Compassion • Innovation • Integrity • Respect www.marybird.org • Volume 2 2010

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Research Leads to New Individualized Treatment Electron beam technology for skin cancers now available Dr. Henkelmann, radiation oncologist, and Janis Mayfield, medical dosimetrist, review BolusECTTM patient treatment plan.

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ew electron beam technology now offers improved treatments for complex cancers of the skin, or just below the skin, as a result of research by Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center (MBP) medical physicists. This new treatment technique called bolus electron conformal therapy (BolusECT™) is the electron beam equivalent to intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with X-ray beams. BolusECT™ tailors the penetration of the electron beams to the cancer, sparing underlying healthy tissues for individual treatment. This reduces the chance for side effects.

“Specific tumors can be treated very well with this technology, especially skin cancers of the head and neck,” said Greg Henkelmann, M.D., radiation oncologist, who has used this treatment for certain cases at MBP. Dr. Henkelmann consulted with a patient at MBP’s Covington location he thought would be a perfect candidate for BolusECT™. “The patient was diagnosed with a very extensive skin cancer immediately adjacent to the eye and ear and a large part of the scalp and face area,” he explained.

“Although treatment using a specialized IMRT machine at one of our other locations was being considered, the patient did not want to travel outside of Covington, so I saw this particular situation as the optimal opportunity to use utilize this technology. I couldn’t be more pleased with the results of BolusECTTM and that the patient was able to stay at home in Covington and receive the treatment he needed. BolusECT™ is not meant to replace other technology but rather to fill a niche for very specific situations.”

Explained Todd Stevens, president and CEO, Mary Bird Perkins, “BolusECT™ is extremely specialized and may be the treatment of choice for a small number of patients each year. However, its availability for those cases demonstrates another example of Mary

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“I couldn’t be more pleased with the results of BolusECTTM and that the patient was able to stay at home in Covington and receive the treatment he needed.”

Greg Henkelmann, M.D. Radiation Oncologist

Bird Perkins’ commitment to putting patients first and providing them with care customized to their unique, individual needs.”

With the help of MBP medical physicists, the Florida-based company .decimal, Inc. (pronounced dot decimal) recently developed the product BolusECT™. The world’s largest medical device manufacturer of treatment aids that require precision machining, .decimal® fabricates the bolus out of a blue machinable wax. The wax bolus acts as a method to vary the penetration of the electron beam dose across the treatment field, providing treatment to the varying depth of the cancer – but no deeper. One side of the wax bolus is shaped to fit the skin surface.

The opposite side, facing the incoming electron beam, conforms the delivered dose to the patient’s cancer. The secret to the shape of the front surface of the bolus is the result of the research.

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Performing a treatment planning CT scan is the first step in the BolusECT™ planning process. The doctor then marks the target volume (cancer) on the CT scan and uses the .decimal® software to design the bolus shape. Once the simulated dose delivery using the designed bolus is approved by the doctor, data is sent to the .decimal® factory in Sanford, Fla., where the bolus is fabricated by a robotic milling machine and returned to MBP the next day. A second treatment planning CT scan is then performed with the wax bolus in place, and the resulting dose delivery is calculated.

“This final dose calculation is a key step in our quality control process,” explained Connel Chu, MS, one of MBP’s 12 medical physicists and the lead medical physicist for clinical implementation and utilization of this technology.

MBP currently is in the second year of a research grant from .decimal® in which Kenneth Hogstrom, PhD, Chief of Physics, MBP, is the Principal Investigator. The research team, along with Chu, includes two LSU graduate students and one postdoctoral fellow. “Our role has been to advise in the design specifications, to test the computer code and recommend improvements to it, to consult on any questions from other users, and to help educate therapy clinics around the world on BolusECT™ and how it can help cancer patients,” said Hogstrom. “With the extension of the grant for a second year, we are looking at ways to make BolusECT™ even more useful.”

BolusECT™ technology is based on published research conducted

by Dr. Hogstrom’s team at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in the 1990s before he came to Mary Bird Perkins. Previous efforts there to translate the technology with other companies were unsuccessful; however, the patient benefit of this technology was later recognized by .decimal, Inc. “In summer 2006, two years after arriving at Mary Bird, I was approached by .decimal®. The clinical potential of bolus electron conformal therapy was untapped and attractive to them as a new product. We have helped guide them in their development of BolusECT™,” said Dr. Hogstrom.

“Our role with this research grant has been to advise in the design specifications, to test the computer code and recommend improvements to it, to consult on any questions from other users, and to help educate therapy clinics around the world on BolusECTTM and how it can help cancer patients.”

Kenneth R. Hogstrom, PhD Chief of Physics satisfaction in being the first company worldwide to offer BolusECTTM for patient use, made possible by Dr. Hogstrom’s previous research and the opportunity to collaborate with the Mary Bird Perkins’ team throughout the development process,” said .decimal® President Richard Sweat.

Connel Chu, lead medical physicist for BolusECTTM, who works closely with Dr. Hogstrom on this initiative.

“.decimal is excited about having been able to add BolusECT™ to its product line. Our business, whether electrons, protons, or X-ray therapies, is about producing custom treatment aids for individually optimized cancer treatments. We derive great

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Rathbone Society Donors Honored

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ary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s 2010 Rathbone Society Dinner took place Thursday, September 23 at the Country Club of Louisiana. The Rathbone Dinner is dedicated to the memory of Dr. and Mrs. M.J. Rathbone, Jr. Dr. Rathbone was one of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s founders in 1971 and was the chairman of the board from the Center’s inception until his death in 1998.

(L to R): Stephen McCord, Barbara Rathbone, Shawnee McCord, Richard Rathbone, Sr. and Richard Rathbone, Jr.

The dinner honors individuals, organizations, corporations and foundations that support Mary Bird Perkins at its highest levels of giving.

It is also when the D. Jensen Holliday Memorial Award is presented to an individual who has made a meaningful difference in the fight against cancer. Mrs. Gloria Graham was honored as the recipient of this year’s award. “It’s a beautiful thing to remember Jensen by honoring others,” said Graham in her acceptance remarks.

Grateful patient David Holeman spoke of his journey to survivorship and extended his sincere thanks to both his treatment staff and the Rathbone donors for supporting Mary Bird Perkins.

(L to R): Jerry Jolly, chair, Mary Bird Perkins Board of Directors, David Holeman, patient, and Todd Stevens, CEO, Mary Bird Perkins.

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(L to R): Donna Saurage, vice chair, Mary Bird Perkins Board of Directors, and Gloria Graham, D. Jensen Holliday Award Recipient with husband Michael Graham.

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(L to R): Cherie Peters, Bill Peters, chair, Mary Bird Perkins Foundation Board of Directors, and Gail O’Quin, Mary Bird Perkins Foundation Board Member.

Photos courtesy of Eye Wander

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Honoring Our Past, Celebrating Our Future Celebrating 40 Years of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center

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o celebrate 40 years of positively impacting the lives of cancer patients and their families and providing quality care for those in the community in need of services regardless of ability to pay, Mary Bird Perkins is planning a year-long celebration in 2011. Leading this celebration to showcase the mission of Mary Bird Perkins will be Honorary Chairs Susan and Richard Lipsey. Honorary Vice Chairs include Shawnee and Stephen McCord, Barbara Rathbone, Michele and Richard Rathbone and Randee and Jack Rathbone. Three key events are planned to acknowledge and engage key supporters and increase community awareness of the organization.

On April 3, 2011, a 40th Anniversary Volunteer Celebration will be held in the Riverview Ballroom, Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center. It is at this event that all volunteers will be recognized and leadership donors will be acknowledged. The Hillar C. Moore, Jr. Outstanding Service Award, Louis D. Curet Volunteer Fundraising Award and Anna B. Lipsey Memorial Volunteer of the Year Awards will all be presented at this celebration. Gerry Lane Enterprises will generously underwrite the event.

On September 15, 2011, the Rathbone Society Dinner will be held to celebrate 40 years of philanthropy. Plans for this exciting event are already under way.

Beginning in February 2011, there will be a 40th Anniversary Celebration Gala at all Center locations. Held in conjunction with the regularly scheduled quarterly employee luncheon, this event will serve as an opportunity to present a formal announcement of the 40th year anniversary, engage employees and unveil a celebration timeline.

St. Tammany Memorial Cancer Fund Makes Generous Transportation Gift

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he St. Tammany Memorial Cancer Fund (STMCF) recently made a generous gift of more than $13,000 to Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center (MBP) in Covington to help provide transportation for patients needing assistance getting to and from their treatments.

This is the second year the organization has made a donation to support this program, bringing STMCF’s two-year total donation to more than $20,000.

Alfred W. “Buzzy” Brown, III, president, STMCF, said, “Our board recognizes the importance of continuity of care for cancer patients throughout the treatment process and is pleased to provide funds for transportation assistance to those requiring it.”

Mike Miranda, program manager, Mary Bird Perkins’ Covington Center, agreed. “Reliable, consistent transportation for patients to and from daily radiation treatments for five to seven weeks can present great obstacles to patients and their families, especially those who live in rural areas.”

Miranda said. “We are so grateful for this generous donation that will help us continue our mission to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer in southeast Louisiana.”

(L to R): Alfred W. “Buzzy” Brown, III, president, STMCF; Cindy Harlan, chair, MBP Greater Northshore President’s Council; Larry Galloway, STMCF board member; Mike Miranda, program manager, MBP, Covington; Sharon Landry, executive director, STMCF.

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Passionate MBP Employees

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mployees at all Mary Bird Perkins (MBP) locations generously donated more than $37,000 to the 2010 Rays of Healing Campaign. This internal giving campaign took place during the month of May and was led by employees from various departments. Heading the Rays of Healing steering committee were Chair Brent Parker, Ph.D., one of MBP’s academic medical physicists, and Campaign Co-chair Karen Spriggs, patient services liaison, Baton Rouge.

The more than $37,000 raised will support the Center’s mission to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer through expert treatment, compassionate care, early detection, research and education. This includes the Center’s medical physics research programs as well as the awareness, education and outreach efforts of the CARE Network, including free cancer screenings throughout southeast Louisiana communities. These funds will also be used to remove any barriers that might otherwise keep patients from receiving their treatments, such as gas cards for transportation to keep their appointments.

Members of the 2010 Rays of Healing Campaign at the kickoff breakfast.

President’s Councils Expand

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he Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center (MBP) President’s Council was first established on the Northshore several years ago as a volunteer-driven group.

Members were chosen for their leadership and involvement in their community and their commitment to helping increase support for the services the nonprofit Mary Bird Perkins provides. The initiative has proven to be quite successful and is now expanding to other locations.

“We have such an incredible mission and story to tell,” said MBP board member Brett Furr (Taylor Porter), who is heading up the inaugural Baton Rouge President’s Council. “Our goal is to grow our membership to represent a wide cross-section of the local business and philanthropic community as well as expand our volunteer membership to third-party event organizers and Fight Cancer Campaign volunteers – people already helping support Mary Bird Perkins.”

This is now an avenue for talented people to get involved with Mary Bird Perkins in all its markets. “The President’s Council in each Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center community will provide visibility, credibility and active participation in philanthropic efforts by serving as a link between the community and the Center,” said Ethan Bush, senior development officer, Mary Bird Perkins.

MBP board member G. Lee Griffin (Chase, retired) sees this as a strategic effort to increase community involvement in our mission and the impact it is having on the people of southeast Louisiana. “We want to engage talented people to get involved with Mary Bird Perkins,” Griffin said. “In this way we are developing our next generation of leadership and board members.”

Baton Rouge President’s Council Roster 2010-11 Brett Furr, Council Chair and MBP Board of Directors member Lisa Adamek Diane Allen Kathy Arnes Thomas Bell Kenneth Champagne Stacey Chiasson Darian Chustz Sandra Holub Rose Hudson Clint Hurst Jeanne James Ashley Johnson Dee Keller Marielle Land-Howard Shannon Lavigne

Suzanne Marquette Elizabeth McKnight Shelley Mockler Hillar Moore Matt Mullins Bill O’Quin Gail O’Quin Mike Pitts Elisabeth Prescott Sanford Roy Blanchard Sanchez Hank Saurage John Schiller Brad Supple Owen Weber

If you are interested in learning more about the President’s Council in your area, please contact Ethan Bush at ebush@marybird.com.

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Clinical Research Corner Spotlight on NCCCP: Clinical Trials

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linical research is critical in finding the best treatments for those diagnosed with cancer. As The Cancer Program of Our Lady of the Lake and Mary Bird Perkins enters its fourth year as a National Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP) site, the focus on expanding the Cancer Program’s clinical research infrastructure to increase patients enrolled in clinical trials continues, especially for minority and other underserved populations.

Focus on Minority Accruals More than 200 patients were enrolled in Cancer Program clinical trials in 2009 with more than 25% of those patients representing minority groups. This year, clinical research staff extended their outreach to minority primary care doctors with a goal of educating them and their patients on clinical trial opportunities close to home.

Clinical Trials in Community Cancer Centers Advances in technology and clinical medicine over the last decade now allow early phase clinical research to be conducted outside major academic treatment centers—and in community cancer centers—allowing more people to benefit from clinical trials. With

85% of all cancer patients seeking treatment within their communities, the opportunity to participate in clinical trials at a local community cancer opens doors for many people. For example, memers of underrepresented and underserved often lack the means to travel.

In addition to increasing access for all, the NCCCP’s focus on the underserved helps increase the reliability of research studies.

“Knowing differences in cancer biology and responses to treatment in specific populations helps medical practitioners improve individual outcomes,” explained Donna Bryant, executive director clinical research, Mary Bird Perkins.

ARRA Funds Enhance Clinical Research Earlier this year, The Cancer Program announced how its clinical research programs would be expanded by the national American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This includes outreach to primary care physicians, increasing the number of early phase clinical trials offered, and expanding accruals to minorities who are fighting cancer within the community.

Renderings Become Reality he artist renderings and construction blueprints will soon become reality when Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center at Terrebonne General Medical Center (TGMC) open its doors in late Spring 2011. Work on this state-of-the-art facility, which will serve the residents of Houma and its surrounding communities, began after a festive groundbreaking ceremony in November 2009.

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adhesive with fewer toxic compounds. An air purification system will be installed along with a “green” roof that will help insulate the building. A lush garden will sit atop the Center as well, providing an environmental sanctuary for patients. Like all LEED-certified buildings, Mary Bird Perkins at TGMC will be energy-efficient and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

The new Houma Center, connected to TGMC by a sky bridge, will be the first building in the region and the first hospital in Louisiana to earn a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification. The U.S. Green Building Council grants this internationally recognized certification to buildings that are constructed with the environment in mind.

The construction of the new Mary Bird Perkins at TGMC strengthens the organization’s commitment to bringing state-of-theart cancer care close to home where patients live and work.

The building’s contractor, McDonnel Group, used recycled materials throughout the design of the building as well as paint and

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NCI Community Cancer Centers P The Cancer Program of Our Lady of the Lake and Mary Bird Perkins

Tomorrow’s Cancer Care – Right Here, Right Now. NCCCP Year Three The third year of the National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP) ended in June 2010. The competitively chosen sites, which included The Cancer Program of Our Lady of the Lake and Mary Bird Perkins, continued advancing the NCCCP priorities to: • Improve quality of care in local community cancer programs.

• Expand survivorship and palliative care programs.

• Reduce health disparities, enhancing outreach in the areas of cancer education, prevention, screening and clinical trials.

• Participate in research that focuses on genes and biomarkers in cancer tissues.

• Continue implementation, enhancement and integration of electronic health records.

ARRA Funds Advance NCI Initiatives NCI is using $80 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to expand research benefiting patients at NCCCP pilot sites. ARRA funding also helped increase the number of NCCCP sites, resulting in a total of 30 NCCCP cancer centers in 22 states across the nation that are developing programs to enhance community-based cancer care and creating a community cancer center network to support cancer research. Two million dollars from ARRA will fund 14 more projects for our local cancer program over the next two years, focusing on making cancer prevention and care available to minority and uninsured populations.

Looking Forward The pilot phase of the NCCCP was a time of laying a foundation. We assessed what was possible in bringing a diverse network of community cancer centers together to achieve common research goals and standardized work procedures and data collection practices so that progress could be measured uniformly. The Cancer Program of Our Lady of the Lake and Mary Bird Perkins is sharing our experiences and lessons learned with new sites and with the broader research community throughout the United States.

Key Accomplishments by Focus Area Reduce Cancer Healthcare Disparities Our patient navigators continue to bridge the gap for many minorities and uninsured patients when an abnormal cancer screening result occurs. From the time the patient navigator becomes aware of a patient’s abnormal finding, they guide the patient through every step of the diagnosis process, whether it’s scheduling appointments, addressing financial challenges or helping the patient identify a physician. Our patient navigators’ primary goal is to remove any obstacle that could prevent a patient from receiving the immediate care they require.

In addition to English, screening and clinical trials information is now translated into Spanish and Vietnamese to ensure clear communication with these populations. Our Cancer Program data shows that 58% of all patients screened in 2009 were minorities, with 46% African-American, 4% Asian-American, and 7.5% Hispanic-Americans. Also, 8% of those screened were over 65, and 25% of all patients screened had never been screened before.

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s Program: June 2009-July 2010 Improve Quality of Cancer Care Multidisciplinary care teams for colorectal cancer, head and neck cancer and neurological cancers have been created. These teams provide enhance physician collaboration, delivering the most seamless, comprehensive care possible for patients.

As we continue to identify genetic links to more and more cancers, we have enhanced our genetic counseling and testing program to provide important information to patients and their families about their risk of cancer. A board certified geneticist is a member of our multidisciplinary teams.

Enhance Survivorship and Palliative Care Programs We have developed a breast cancer patient treatment summary and survivorship care plan to provide patients and their primary care physicians with important records of the treatment they received, including a detailed post-treatment follow-up plan created by best practice experiences.

Support Cancer Clinical Trials Our Cancer Program is expanding its clinical trials research infrastructure to increase the number of patients accrued to clinical trials, increase participation by minority and underserved populations, and increase the types of trials that are available to patients.

We enrolled more than 200 patients in clinical trials last year, with more than 25% of those patients representing minorities and underserved populations.

Standardize Biospecimen Collection for Research through a Standards-based Approach The Cancer Program continues to partner with the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute to perform state-of-the art cancer research called Total Cancer CareTM (TCC). By combining research efforts, we are creating a new frontier in cancer research that will potentially offer personalized cancer treatment to all patients. More than 700 patients to date have been enrolled.

We continue to work with our TCCTM clinical partners at the LSU Minority-based CCOP, Wake Forest University, VanderbiltIngram Cancer Center and Moffitt Cancer Center and have developed clinical trial workgroups to identify the trials best suited to our patients with gastrointestinal cancers and head and neck cancers.

Enhance Information Technology Capabilities by Converting Paper-based Patient Records to Electronic Health Records Cohesive and comprehensive cancer care is only possible through the use of electronic medical records. Our Cancer Program has reached new levels this year in developing secure information technology systems for sharing patient health records with other providers.

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Academic Medical Physics A university and community cancer center partner to train medical physicists

by Kenneth R. Hogstrom, PhD, Chief of Physics, Mary Bird Perkins

Academic Medical Physicists (L to R): Drs. Mitch Price, Jonas Fontenot, Brent Parker, John Gibbons and Kenneth Hogstrom.

Medical Physics Graduate Program The LSU-Mary Bird Perkins graduate program in medical physics consists primarily of our MS in Medical Physics and Health Physics Program, which is one of 18 Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs, Inc. (CAMPEP)-accredited medical physics graduate programs in the U.S. Our MS in Medical Physics and Health Physics Program requires a publishable-quality research thesis in addition to its curricula and clinical rotations at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. Since restructuring in 2004, the LSU-Mary Bird Perkins medical physics program has graduated 27 students. Two attributes that differentiate our MS program from most other programs are our research requirement and the program support jointly provided

by Mary Bird Perkins and LSU. The research requisite helps students decide whether they should continue to pursue a PhD in medical physics, thereby including research as part of their future medical physics career. Also, students’ theses contribute to our adjunct faculty efforts to improve patient care through research.

A New Paradigm: Medical Physics Residency Education Upon graduation, students have typically taken positions as junior medical physicists where they receive on-the-job clinical training under the supervision of a qualified medical physicist. Three years of such clinical experience are presently required to sit for the final, oral component of the certification exam in therapeutic radiologic physics offered by the American Board of Radiology (ABR).

However, this training path will end in 2014, after which the ABR will require that students must graduate from a CAMPEPaccredited medical physics residency program to be eligible for the ABR certification exam. This new requirement, similar to the training path of their physician colleagues, will improve the quality of junior medical physicists entering the workforce.

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At present, the national capacity of residency programs is inadequate for the number of medical physicists entering the field, including those graduating from MS or PhD programs in medical physics. Hence, in the near future, graduate education programs will be under pressure to affiliate with a residency program until such time as residency programs have adequate capacity. To accomplish this strategic goal, Mary Bird Perkins has established a Radiation Oncology Physics Residency Program led by Program Director Brent Parker, PhD, and Chief of Clinical Physics John Gibbons, PhD. The residency program will replace on-the-job training. During training, residents will perform clinical medical physics services under the supervision of a staff medical physicist, which will help offset the costs of the program. The program matriculated its first resident in July 2009 with a second resident matriculating in July 2010.

Impact on Clinic Research activities and the availability of graduate students result in improved technology for our clinical practice. Research on our TomoTherapy grant has led to use of a new technology, helical TomoTherapy, for post-mastectomy chest wall radiation therapy.

This modality offers improved normal tissue sparing and more homogenous dose to the radiation target, the latter providing greater cosmesis for the patient.

Research with BrainLab led to developing a unique method for evaluating the uncertainty in the volume of irradiated brain when using image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), important to the radiation oncologist in specifying the target volume. This method is currently being used to measure the accuracy of TomoTherapy and Elekta IGRT systems.

More recently, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center has been the academic partner for .decimal, Inc. (see cover story on page 4 for more information).

Future Plans A good academic program continually evolves, and that is the case for our programs. Over the next year, our goal is to achieve CAMPEP accreditation of our Radiation Oncology Physics Residency Program at Mary Bird Perkins and our PhD Program in Medical Physics at LSU. As our research programs at Mary Bird Perkins continue to grow, we hope to increase the number of PhD students. We are working to add a research program in brachytherapy, while maintaining the momentum of our existing research programs. As part of these efforts, we expect to grow our academic medical physics staff.

This is an excerpt from an article published in the Sept/Oct 2010 issue of the Association of Community Cancer Centers’ Oncology Issues magazine, which is distributed nationally.

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$2.2 Million Awarded for Innovative Research Targeting Radiation at Individual Cancer Cells

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he U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, a division of the Department of Defense, recently awarded Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center a $2.2 million research contract. The award will support two important radiation research initiatives. One research project will be focused on targeting radiation at individual cancer cells. Research will be conducted through the Mary Bird Perkins partnership with LSU. Principal Investigator, Kenneth Hogstrom, Ph.D., MBP, commented, “We are researching a new paradigm in which cancer will be treated on a cell-by-cell basis – targeting cancer cells while avoiding normal cells mixed within the target volume.” It is hoped that such therapies will allow a greater dose to the cancer with minimal damage to normal tissue, which could increase cures for many cancers.

This study would not be possible without the LSU CAMD (Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices) synchrotron, which provides the monoenergetic X-ray source used to irradiate cells.

Through the award, MBP will collaborate with scientists at the LSU synchrotron and the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

“This collaborative effort, led by Kip Matthews, Ph.D., subcontractor principal investigator at LSU, will allow us to build a new state-ofthe-art biomedical beamline at CAMD that facilitates the present research as well as enabling future cancer-targeting research by LSU and other scientists,” said interim CAMD Director Rich Kurtz, Ph.D. If successful, this targeted therapy could be translated into Mary Bird Perkins using future technology called electron-laser accelerators.

“Mary Bird Perkins is very excited about entering and contributing to basic science that will help answer questions that could serve as building blocks for future advances in the radiation treatment of cancer,” said Todd Stevens, president and CEO, MBP. MBP has multiple radiation devices that effectively and efficiently target tumor volumes for each specific patient, and it has multiple applied research programs aimed at improving these therapies. This grant, however, funds MBP’s first major effort in basic research by studying a new paradigm for radiation therapy.

Expanding Proton Therapy to More Cancers

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he other research initiative to benefit from the recently announced Department of Defense funding will be Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center's first major effort in proton therapy research.

Historically, proton therapy has benefited a select segment of cancer patients, mostly in treating localized, isolated, solid tumors, such as brain, spine, head and neck as well as eye tumors, before they spread to the rest of the body. As research improves and proton therapy technology becomes more economical for cancer centers to implement, its benefits should expand to many other types of cancer patients.

Principal investigator, Kenneth Hogstrom, Ph.D., chief of physics, Mary Bird Perkins, and the Dr. Charles M. Smith Chair of Medical Physics at LSU, commented, “We are researching how best to apply radiation calculations, referred to as pencil-beam theory, to a new proton accelerator, called the dielectric wall proton accelerator (DWPA). This innovative research will result in

the capability to provide greater radiation doses, via proton therapy, to cancer with minimal damage to normal tissue, which will increase cures for many cancers.”

This study is consistent with efforts by Mary Bird Perkins and the LSU System to bring proton therapy to Baton Rouge within the next few years. Compact Particle Acceleration Company (CPAC) will provide Mary Bird Perkins access to its prototype DWPA that is being developed for future patient use and is necessary to achieve the aims of the research. Dr. Hogstrom’s expertise in pencil-beam theory, used worldwide for more than 25 years in electron therapy, will be used to devise proton dose planning for the DWPA. “That the Department of Defense saw this research worth funding speaks volumes for the scientists we have on our team and the innovative Mary Bird Perkins – LSU Medical Physics partnership,” said Todd Stevens, president and CEO, Mary Bird Perkins.

www.marybird.org • Volume 2 2010

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Fight Cancer Campaign Under Way

Volunteers for the Fight Cancer Campaign officially kicked off the 2010 effort at a campaign celebration at the home of Tom and Lisa Adamek earlier this fall.

T

he 2010 Fight Cancer Campaign kicked off earlier this fall and it’s not over yet! Guided this year by all-female leadership, volunteers have been busy meeting with individuals and companies to share MBP’s story and raise financial support for the Center’s mission to lessen the burden of cancer. Every dollar donated to the campaign is invested directly back into the community by providing outreach, education, early detection, survivorship and research programs. These initiatives are available to all residents of southeast Louisiana through charitable support by YOU and your fellow community members.

Will you become our partner in this fight today? For more information please contact the Office of Development at (225) 215-1224.

New Facility in Covington

M

ary Bird Perkins looks forward to opening a new facility in Covington in partnership with St. Tammany Parish Hospital.

Opening in early 2011 – directly across the street from our partner St. Tammany Parish Hospital – the new facility will house two high-energy linear accelerators, an HDR unit and a fixed PET/CT unit. The combination of incredible cancer-fighting technology, expert physicians and additional space to accommodate community meetings, conferences and more will provide the infrastructure needed to greatly expand the comprehensive cancer services provided to patients in Covington and surrounding areas.

We hope to begin seeing patients in February. MBP Staff are looking forward to once again working with St. Tammany Parish Hospital and the greater Northshore community to deliver on our mission of improving survivorship and lessening the burden of cancer.

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Construction on St. Tammany Parish Hospital’s campus is proceeding at a rapid pace. The foundation for two linear accelerator vaults and the HDR suite has been poured inside the building on the first floor, which will be occupied by Mary Bird Perkins.

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Save the Date: 2011 Karnival Krewe de Louisiane Mardi Gras Ball

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he 24th Annual Karnival Krewe de Louisiane Mardi Gras Ball will be held in the Baton Rouge River Center on Jan. 28, 2011. This year’s theme is “The Lost City of Atlantis,” and The Cancer Program of Our Lady of the Lake and Mary Bird Perkins will be the charitable beneficiary of this spectacular fundraising event.

The night will feature an indoor parade complete with marching bands, dance teams and floats. Over the last seven years, this event has raised more than one million dollars for the fight against cancer.

Karnival Krewe de Louisiane welcomes new members! Upon joining, members receive two tickets to the Mardi Gras Ball, which includes great food and entertainment in addition to the exciting indoor parade.

To learn more about Karnival Krewe de Louisiane and how to become a member, go to www.KarnivalKrewe.com or call (225) 765-5002.

Hammond’s Relay for Life

M

ary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Hammond is a proud participant in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. This year’s event was held Nov. 13 at North Oak Park. According to Relay for Life Facts & Figures 2010, Relay for Life is an international event has brought together more than 3.5 million participants, including a variety of businesses, organizations and colleges. We are also proud to be one of the many organizations that will participate in this special event to honor survivors and remember those that have lost their battle with cancer.

Volunteers distributed pink backpacks to all Race participants.

Houma’s Komen Race for the Cure®

M

ary Bird Perkins at TGMC participated at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure ® in Thibodaux on Sat., Oct. 30, to help raise funds to fight breast cancer. Please visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/marybirdperkins to check out the short video documenting the amazing event.

3.5 million participants internationally www.marybird.org • Volume 2 2010

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Fighting Cancer Through Early Detection

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arly detection is the most effective way to battle Louisiana’s disproportionate cancer death rates. Mary Bird Perkins (MBP) collaborates with many partners to provide free screenings for breast, prostate, colorectal, skin and oral cancers to underserved and under- and uninsured populations throughout the year.

As of the end of Oct., MBP has had a record-breaking year for screenings. And, our dedicated and passionate CARE Network early detection team is out in the community today screening more people. Thus far, we have held more than 200 free screening events–beating our 2009 total. More than 6,100 people have been screened, more than 948 participants with abnormal findings have been navigated to ensure they received appropriate follow-up, and 35 cancers have been detected.

During National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in Sept., Mary Bird Perkins increased our free prostate cancer screenings to reach more men who may have seen the increased media coverage of prostate cancer. This year Mary Bird Perkins partnered with St. Elizabeth Hospital, St. Tammany Hospital, TGMC and Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center to screen 937 men at 33 free events.

In October, in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Mary Bird Perkins held five breast cancer screenings in

Bilingual Outreach Coordinator Grace Espinosa assists minority participants with screening paperwork. partnership with Woman’s Hospital and screened 268 women. Breast cancer screenings are held regularly throughout the rest of the year.

Since the inception of the Early Detection Program in 2002 through Oct. 31, 2010, more than 1,000 screening events have been held and more than 36,000 have been screened.

For more information about dates, times and locations of free cancer screenings, visit www.marybird.org.

2010 Cancer Screenings to Date* Events Participants Participants never been screened Participants navigated Diagnosed cancers *January

16

Breast

Prostate

Colorectal

Skin

Oral

Total

61

23

110

28

3

225

2,208

1,153

1,361

1,307

122

6,151

518

331

835

1,050

108

2,842

23%

29%

61%

80%

89%

46%

581

98

11

249

9

948 15%

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1- October 31, 2010

MARY BIRD PERKINSperspective

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1

17

0

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Close to Home Gala Raises $50k

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he leadership and enthusiasm of Greater Northshore President's Council member Mike Ford, coupled with the organization of Strategic Employee Benefit Services (SEBS) and Northwestern Mutual of Louisiana (NML), made the August 19 “Close to Home” summer gala benefiting Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center a spectacular success. Held at Abita Oaks Plantation in Abita Springs, the gala invested more than $50,000 toward the fight against cancer. Special thanks to event organizers Shelly Pennington and Amanda Lyday and the SEBS/NML team!

(L to R): Kevin Gardner (SEBS), Steve Dugal (NML) and Mike Ford (SEBS).

"The generous philanthropic support from SEBS and NML employees and donors who attended this unique community event will be invested into the community to help Mary Bird Perkins and its many partners fulfill the Center's mission to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer close to home," said Todd Stevens, president and CEO, MBP.

Special Appreciation Assurant Employee Benefits First Premium Humana

Northwestern Mutual of Louisiana Prescription Benefits

Strategic Employee Benefit Services United Healthcare

Gonzales Volunteer

D

avid Leader has been a volunteer for Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center since 2001. Completing 350 volunteer hours this year, Leader is a familiar face at both the Baton Rouge and Gonzales Centers.

Referred to as “the Center’s angel,” Leader is a well-known influence and a constant helping hand to all patients at Mary Bird. He is also a guide for new volunteers and always has a positive influence on patients and employees alike.

“My wife was treated at Mary Bird Perkins and saw all the services provided.

After the loss of my wife, I would ask myself, ‘What can I do to stop the void?’ I didn’t know where to turn, but I later felt that Mary Bird was a force that had come into my life for a reason. This has given me a chance to fill that void.”

Although Leader participates in many other organizations that help those in need, he said volunteering at Mary Bird Perkins has become both a commitment and a priority.

“Since I have started volunteering at Mary Bird, I’ve never thought about leaving, because it’s been a great experience. Just being with the patients and talking to them has been the best therapy. I have my family at home, but Mary Bird has become a part of my family as well—a complete family. They took me in.”

David Leader www.marybird.org • Volume 2 2010

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Fighting Cancer Through Community Events in Southeast Louisiana YOU can help Mary Bird Perkins further our mission to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer!

Consider hosting a community event fundraiser benefiting Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. We would be honored to work with you to create an exciting event idea. We are currently seeking applications from organizations and individuals desiring to host a fundraiser. Events may also be held in honor or in memory of a loved one affected by cancer. For information on how YOU can help the Center move forward with our mission by hosting a community event, please contact the Office of Development at (225) 215-1248.

Runway Mission to Remission Fashion Show Denham Springs – The inaugural “Runway Mission to Remission” fashion show on June 3, hosted by Bass Pro Shops, was a resounding success, raising nearly $5,000 in proceeds to support Mary Bird Perkins (MBP). The event featured cancer survivors and family members as models, along with local celebrities–including Denham Springs Mayor Jimmy Durbin.

(L to R): “Runway Mission to Remission” event organizers Samantha Stevenson, Tamara Laurie and Lisa Brady with Danielle Mack, development officer for events, MBP.

(L to R): Danielle Mack, development officer, MBP, Ethan Bush, senior development officer, MBP, Karen Boss, BJ Boss, and Greg and Ashley Stringfellow.

Annual Jeff Boss Memorial Classic Baton Rouge – With more than 150 participants, the Sixth Annual Jeff Boss Memorial Classic Golf Tournament, held May 14, was a tremendous success. Tournament organizers Ashley and Greg Stringfellow presented Mary Bird Perkins with a $5,000 check. This event honors Jeff Boss, the former LSU Athletic equipment manager, who passed away from brain cancer in 2003. Boss is fondly remembered for his selflessness and sincere dedication to the team and players.

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MARY BIRD PERKINSperspective

MBP Development Officer Danielle Mack with members of the Donaldsonville Walgreens staff.

Walgreens Honors Local Survivor Ascension Parish – The Donaldsonville Walgreens Pharmacy hosted a Community Health Awareness Day and fundraiser on June 26 in honor of Walgreens’ Department Manager Joyce Reed, a cancer survivor. The event raised $1,000 for the fight against cancer.

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(L to R): Back Row - Students from Holy Ghost Catholic School - Bailey Barker, Skylar Compton, Carlye Galloway.

Front Row - Jessica Camelo, Taylor Ridgedell, and Jenni O'Neil, development officer, Mary Bird Perkins.

DISCOver a Cure - Hammond More than 155 students from Holy Ghost Catholic School, Southeastern University Lab School, Mater Dolorosa, St. Joseph’s and Trafton Academy gathered on August 27 for the area’s first “DISCOver a Cure” back to school dance, which raised $3,700 to benefit MBP.

(L to R): Stevie Keller, Carolyn Chassee, VP, CDO, MBP, Danielle Mack, development officer, MBP, and LeLe Keller.

DISCOver a Cure - Baton Rouge Stevie and LeLe Keller, young Baton Rouge philanthropists, hosted their second annual “DISCOver a Cure” charity dance for approximately 350 seventh and eighth graders on August 5 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Together with their friends, Stevie and LeLe were able to donate $8,800 to MBP.

Crawfishman Triathlon St. Tammany Parish – Despite the inclement weather, the Crawfishman Triathlon held in Bush, La., on May 2 was a great success. The triathlon has been a proud supporter of the fight against cancer since 2006 and continued this year with 420 participants, raising $4,000 for MBP. (L to R): Mark and Kirsty Salvetti with Crawfishman Triathlon, Jenni O'Neil, development officer, MBP and Sarah Bennett, Outreach Coordinator, MBP.

Hit for Hope Gonzales – The Ascension Tennis Association (ATA) hosted its first “Hit for Hope” tennis tournament April 24 – 25 at the Gonzales Tennis Center in honor of Wanda Mayers, long-time Gonzales tennis coach and breast cancer survivor.

Chairs of the event, Stephanie Purdy and Lori Leblanc, presented MBP with more than $6,000 for the fight against cancer.

(L to R): Danielle Mack, development officer, MBP, Stephanie Purdy, Taylor Purdy, Coach Graylin Mayers, Danielle LeBlanc, Coach Wanda Mayers, and Lori LeBlanc.

www.marybird.org • Volume 2 2010

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Golf Tournament Follow-up

M

arking 20 years of making a difference in the lives of local cancer patients, the 2010 Mary Bird Perkins Merrill Lynch Open exemplified the community’s continued support in the fight against cancer. Net proceeds of more than $160,000 will directly support thousands of people throughout the Center’s 18-parish service area to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer through expert treatment, compassionate care, early detection, research and education.

Pictured above are MBP 2010 Golf Committee and Volunteers. the restaurants donating food and, of course, those who were generous with their bids.”

The Amedysis Pro-Am benefiting Mary Bird Perkins took place June 8 at BREC’s Santa Maria Golf Course. Then, Adams Golf Pro Tour Series golfers shared their talents with more than 70 aspiring young golfers, ages 6-16, at the Coca-Cola Junior Clinic on Friday, June 11. The youngsters received an hour of personal instruction, professional tips and pointers, and a free sleeve of golf balls. This year, Mary Bird Perkins also partnered with BREC and The First Tee, an organization that promotes character development and lifeenhancing values through the game of golf.

The four-day professional event began June 9, with 107 players on the roster playing at the Santa Maria Golf Course. At the end of the 72-hole professional event, Missouri native Brice Garnett took home winnings of $18,000 as champion of the tournament. This marked Garnett’s first win on the Adams tour.

(L to R): Kurt LaCroix, 2010 MBP Golf Committee Member, Randy Haddad, 2010 MBP Golf Committee Chair, Todd Stevens, MBP President and CEO, and Ken Caldwell, Director of Golf, BREC. The Taste of the Tournament Par-Tee and Auction, underwritten

by Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and presented by the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center, kicked off this year’s fundraising activities on June 2.

“The net proceeds from the Taste of the Tournament Par-Tee and Auction will expand our resources in furthering the treatment of cancer and its prevention,” said Ethan Bush, senior development officer for Mary Bird Perkins. “The event wouldn’t have been possible without the 2010 Taste committee, businesses and individuals who donated auction items, our wonderful sponsors, Adams Golf Pro helps kids with their golf swing at the 2010 Junior Clinic (sponsored by Baton Rouge Coca-Cola)

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MARY BIRD PERKINSperspective

“Even the heat indexes couldn’t hamper the enthusiasm around this year’s tournament,” said Randy Haddad, Mary Bird Perkins Merrill Lynch Open chair. “On behalf of the entire tournament organizing committee, I’d like to thank Santa Maria Golf Course, the Adams Golf pros, our tremendous sponsors, our media partners WAFB Channel 9 and Guaranty Broadcasting and all of this year’s volunteers. It was truly a team effort.”

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Join TeamMBP and help Mary Bird Perkins raise funds and further our mission to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer in our community.

Gather a group of friends and organize a walk, run or competition and help raise funds through TeamMBP, a great new fundraising tool that allows you to maintain your own personal website and obtain support from friends, family and colleagues.

Get started TODAY with your TeamMBP site!

Visit: http://fightcancer.marybird.org/TeamMBPChampion For further information on customizing your own personal page for an event or tribute, contact Danielle Mack at (225) 215-1248 or fightcancer@marybird.com.

Join today in 5 easy steps!

Step 1: Register Step 2: Choose your Challenge Step 3: Set your Goal

Step 4: Customize your Page Step 5: Begin the Fight!

TeamMBP Wilson Foundation Supports Screening

T

he staff of the Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation visit a rural cancer screening funded this year through the Foundation’s grant program. Pictured at right are Dan Bevan, president, Wilson Foundation, Donna Saurage, who serves on the Boards of MBP Cancer Center and the Wilson Foundation, Dianna Stephens, V.P. of Administration of the Wilson Foundation, Jan Ross, V.P. of Grants Administration at Wilson, and Todd Stevens, CEO of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center.

www.marybird.org • Volume 2 2010

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Exercise and Wellness Program Helps Survivors Feel Better, Sooner

R

esearch shows that regaining one’s health after a cancer diagnosis is easier through physical activity and healthy living. Many cancer survivors enrolled in CancerFit would agree with this research, as they, too, have seen the benefits of a specialized fitness plan.

CancerFit is offered by The Cancer Program of Our Lady of the Lake and Mary Bird Perkins and is directed by physical therapists, occupational therapists and nurses. The program helps survivors combat fatigue, nausea, anxiety and depression and general weakness typically brought on by treatment.

CancerFit includes: • Private evaluations to assess flexibility, strength and balance • Aerobic and therapeutic exercises • Wellness education “Research now shows that movement is highly beneficial to patients’ wellness during and following treatment,” said Dr. Mitch Berger, Director of The Cancer Program of Our Lady of the Lake and Mary Bird Perkins. “Our CancerFit patients are seeing how we can address their individual needs and capabilities so they can get back to living rich, full lives as soon as possible.”

Physician referral for CancerFit is required, and sessions are typically covered by insurance. For more information or to enroll, please call (225) 231-3800.

Gibbons Presents in China

J

ohn Gibbons, Jr., Ph.D., Chief of Clinical Physics, MBP, was a presenter at the 2nd SANTRO (Sino-American Network for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology) symposium in Hangzhou, China in October. Dr. Gibbons spoke on image-guided radiation therapy for head and neck cancer.

22

MARY BIRD PERKINSperspective

Jointly hosted by SANTRO/CSTRO (Chinese Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology), the conference featured invited speakers from both the United States and China and brought together world-class faculty to discuss the most current advances in radiation oncology. Issues discussed included clinical practice, clinical trials, translational research, and quality management of modern radiation therapy.

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r e recognition fo d with corporat te en h es ug pr ro e th er d w te ees y have contribu Rubicon employ ort of MBP. The ort the fight pp su pp d su ue to in 00 nt their co ost $200,0 m al t en m na ur lf to their annual go ! er nc ca against

evens, MBP (Left) Todd St earman, t: gh ri to to o Ph ark D CEO and M President and . er t Manag Rubicon Plan

The “Helps Cancer Outr each” of Hea Rouge serves ling Place C nutritious sn hurch in Bat acks to patie Bird Perkins. on nts in waitin Healing Place g rooms at Mar Church starte 2010 and now y d its food se has more than rvices in May patient at M 34 people vo ary Bird Perk lunteer week ins, Maurine ly. As a form Cancer Outr er LaCour, foun each, wanted der of the H to give to pat to R): Pastor elps ients what w Jim Rentz, T as gi erri Anderson Schuette, Bro , Maurine LaC ven to her. (L ther Ken Spiv our, Jacey Pri ey and Vivia nce n Wilkerson.

www.marybird.org • Volume 2 2010

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ribute gifts are a wonderful way to commemorate or honor a special person or occasion in your life while supporting the fight against cancer. birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, births, graduations family members and friends special people condolences achievements and life milestones

Salt of the Earth

D

elos and Evelyn Knight were the salt of the earth – known by all as genuinely good people. Both grew up in rural Washington Parish during the Depression. “When I think of Daddy, I think of him as truly a member of the greatest generation,” said youngest son Tim Knight. “He volunteered to serve his country in World War II and was assigned to a Navy destroyer. For three years he fought in both theaters of the war, participating in the invasions of Normandy and Okinawa, among others,” he explained. Delos returned home to become a rural letter carrier, a position he held until he retired from the U.S. Postal Service. After an annual colonoscopy, he was diagnosed with colon cancer and chose Mary Bird Perkins in Covington for his treatment due to its closeness to his home and the reputation of the facility.

Evelyn Knight grew up on a dairy farm, milking cows and working in cotton fields. She was employed by the Clerk of Court Office in Franklinton for more than 48 years and was an avid gardener. Her love of gardening and overexposure to the sun would eventually lead to a serious skin cancer, melanoma, on her nose. She was treated in Baton Rouge where her daughter could take her to her treatments.

Granddaughter Erin Knight Credo honors her grandparents through tribute giving. “My husband and I donate to Mary Bird Perkins in memory of both of my grandparents because of the support Mary Bird gave all of us and because of how beautiful the organization’s mission is. It not only treats those diagnosed with cancer, but it’s dedicated to prevention and early detection.” Sunscreen wasn’t something that was available to people during Evelyn Knight’s time.

She was lucky they were able to treat her melanoma successfully.

“Pappy and Maw Maw didn’t die from cancer, but they could have.”

24

“ I know that through the tribute gifts we make, people are educated about prevention and the importance of early detection, and that there are free cancer screenings for those who need them. That way they have a fighting chance at either staying cancer-free or having it detected early enough to have treatment options.”

Erin Knight Credo MARY BIRD PERKINSperspective

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r.

A Gift That Lasts When you make a tribute gift, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center will both acknowledge your contribution while keeping the amount confidential, and notify the honoree or other designated individual(s) such as family members (when provided).

To make a tribute gift by mail, send your check payable to Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Development Office, 4950 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. If you would like notification of the gift sent to someone, please be sure to include the reason behind your contribution (as in, “in honor of the 65th birthday of John Miller”), plus the name(s) and address(es) of those to receive the notification.

Your generous contribution will honor someone special while helping Mary Bird Perkins continue to provide the highest quality radiation therapy and compassionate care in Southeast Louisiana. For further information on making a tax-deductible tribute gift, contact Danielle Mack at (225) 215-1248 or dmack@marybird.com.

Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center gratefully acknowledges the following gifts made in memory of or in honor of a special person or loved one during the period of 3/01/10 - 8/31/10.

In Honor of: Randy All eman Ms. Pearl Alleman Regina Sidn ey All eman Ms. Pearl Alleman Susa n Al taras Mary Lou Hutchinson Nedra W. B anks ton Mr. Russell Bankston Joy B erns tein Dr. Mitchell Berger Maria Cloess ner Ms. Lori Marionneaux Will iam Conger Mr. Randal Daniel Earl Ray Crow e Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Nobles Joseph Daigle Craig and Bridget Soileau Mr. and Mrs . Russ ell Fis h Dr. and Mrs. Mortimer F. Currier Diedra M . Harris -Guidr y Mrs. Diedra M. Harris-Guidry Walter Haley Ms. Carolyn H. Whaley Agnes Harrop Lynn and Bill Guggolz Dr. Gregor y C. Henkelmann Ms. Ora Leblanc Kirbye Hol lier Ms. Lori Marionneaux Dr. Sheldon Johnson Mr. and Mrs. Michel V. Wall Barbara Jourdan Mr. W. Donald McCarter Dee and John Kent Mr. James Robinson

Marga ret Law Craig and Bridget Soileau Dan and Marcia Mars h Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Chappo Mockler Beverage Starmount Life Insurance Hillar Moore Ann Wilkinson Loyce V. Patin Ms. Cherine Patin Anton Perkovic Mr. W. Donald McCarter T homas R. Rams ay Ms. Jane R. Hodges Stacey Richard Mr. and Mrs. Robert Evans Karen Schill ing Mr. Benjamin Meyers Dr. Derrick Spell Ms. Donna White Raju T homas Mr. and Mrs. Michel V. Wall Jack Wils on Mr. Jason Arms Tris ha Wright Colorado Business Group on Health

In Memory Of: Huey P. Adams Mr. and Mrs. John Guerin Conrad S . Adkins Ms. Christine Lipsey B en Al exander Out to Lunch Bunch Dan ny Myers Al exan der Out to Lunch Bunch

Larr y Al len Mrs. Monica Allen Ms. Susan Allen E. Kim Almen dinger Mr. and Mrs. Kerry L. Cook Rose Mary Angel loz Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Harrell Thelma Mess er Anthony Mr. Theodore W. Anthony Janie Vickers Argrave Mr. and Mrs. Dale Diez Eleanor W. Ba er Dr. Bruce L. Baer Gera ldine S. B ail ey Mr. and Mrs. Felton Ceasar Ma rie Ruby Bail ey Mr. and Mrs. Harold S. Seaton Cha rles N. Baker Mrs. Gladys V. Baker Lakeview Regional Medical Center Jos eph L. Ba rbe, III Mr. Joseph Barbe E.S. “ Bugs” Ba rnes Pat and Billy Smith Ma rc Becker Ms. Karen Klienman Gayl e Beebower Louisiana Cancer Registers Association James Dudley “ Jimmy” B en ton Mr. J. Michael Benton Cyrus Berger Mr. and Mrs. Morise Duffin Dianne H. Griffin Jos eph A. Bertone Ms. Elizabeth McIntyre Cody Bla ckl edge Mr. and Mrs. Neil Record

www.marybird.org • Volume 2 2010

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Pegg y B onnecarrere Mr. Donald Bonnecarrere Kenneth B ourgeois DEMCO Employee Plan Compliance Co. Dr. Julie Gayle Mrs. Carey Jackson Mr. Joseph James Mr. Whitney Langlois Mrs. Janie Mills Project Consulting Services, Inc. Oll ie B . Brooks Shirley Brooks Bertie Brown Mr. and Mrs. John Lapenas, Jr. An n Brownl ea der Mr. and Mrs. Derek Brownleader Catherine G. Bruno Board of Directors, Management and Employees of Associated Grocers, Inc. Ed Buggs , Jr. Board of Directors, Management and Employees of Associated Grocers, Inc. Joa n J. Butt Mr. Herbert H. Butt Don Cancienn e Board of Directors, Management and Employees of Associated Grocers, Inc. Ethel Carawa y Mrs. Cathy F. Carraway Hen ry B . Carroll , Jr. Production Services Network Gl en da Cata nzaro Mr. Eddie Bryant Mr. Blake Chiasson Mr. and Mrs. John Firmin Janet Hubbard PoolCorp Janet Shaffer South Central Pools - Baton Rouge Branch, Metairie Branch, Mandeville Branch and Lafayette Branch Ms. Kilo Sunderland Irma Lee Chambliss Beth Rabalais and Susan Myrick Tommy Chambl is s Mr. and Mrs. Herman Hunt Pa tty Luke Chatagnier Ms. Katherine Porche An thony “ Larry” Chustz Beverly Honore Mr. and Mrs. Ron Mitchell Ms. Rita Myers Dr. and Mrs. Max Scott Mr. and Mrs. Ross Whitfield Pres ton Chustz Mrs. Mary A. Chustz Ronnie Chustz Dana and Myles Kirkland Way ne Chus tz Dana and Myles Kirkland Dorothy Clay Mark and Edie Michel Jes sie Coa tes Mr. and Mrs. John L. Kaiser, Sr. Dominick G. Congemi Ms. Dorothy Hitt

MARY BIRD PERKINSperspective

Page 26

Stephen Couvillon Board of Directors, Management and Employees of Associated Grocers, Inc. Delores Covington Mr. and Mrs. Bradley G. Mayeux Grace R. Crain Mr. Norman Crain Nolan P. Daigle, Sr. Craig and Bridget Soileau Ethel Marie Da le Mr. and Mrs. Neville L. Wilkerson Art Dardeau Mrs. Jeanie Dardeau Helen Demers Mr. Larry Rolling Gass ie Devill e Board of Directors, Management and Employees of Associated Grocers, Inc. Camill e Diaz Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Leblanc Peggy DiBenedetto Ms. Billie Langlois Mabel Dixon Mr. Thurman J. Tanner Gary M. Doffitt Board of Directors, Management and Employees of Associated Grocers, Inc. Kathl een “ Kay” Doughty Fran Aucoin Mr. and Mrs. John S. Barry, Jr. Lamar and Frances Brumfield Friday Night Bunch Ms. Audrey Fry Carolyn and Julian Honeycutt Members of the Republican Legislative Delegation and June Peay Oakcrest Baptist Church Mrs. Sylvia Rodrigue Mr. and Mrs. Alfred W. Speer B obbie Dubos e Mr. and Mrs. William Dobson Corey Dufrene Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Goscha Kathy Dyer Mr. John P. Dyer Chuck Edwards Mr. Horace White Trilby Estes Pat and Billy Smith Lois Fahrenbacher Mrs. Melva Burgess Horace D. Fenn, Jr. Mrs. Ann Fenn Joyce Fenore Mr. Thurman J. Tanner Robert Eugene Fletcher Sherri and Richard Hayden Violet N. Fon tenot Mr. and Mrs. Eddie McClure Earl J. Fourroux Ms. Beryl Fourroux Clyde D. Frame Dr. and Mrs. A. James Klein Robert M. Fran klin Mrs. Hella M. Franklin

L inden Ga spard Wayne and Debbie Landry Sal ly B . Giglio Mr. and Mrs. Erwin Gruettner Chad T homas Gols on Mrs. Lynn Dalier Cola n Griffin Dianne H. Griffin Aurelia Griffith Mrs. Naomi Vince Tara Haydel Teresa Duplantis Randall Helm Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Harrington Chester Herna ndez Mr. and Mrs. Francis Becnel Pegg y Hoffman Mr. and Mrs. Donald Houde Robert Hol ifield Merlie and Herman Hunt Robin Hood, Sr. Mrs. Bertha D. Hood Da le Hotard Ms. Peggy David Rudy Hudson Clay and Merlie Hunt Margaret Hulin Mrs. Mary L. Welsh and Family Margie B oyles Hutchins on Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Graner John C. Jacks on , Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Dale Diez Mildred Iss ac Jacks on Ms. Marie J. Williams Verlin Jackson Dot O’Neal Sarah “ Sookie” Jan e Mrs. Hella M. Franklin Dolores L. Jenkin s Mr. Hubert O. Jenkins Aleton Johns on Mr. and Mrs. David Brown Emelda Johns on Mrs. Margaret Brown J. J. Johns on Mrs. Frank Norwood Arthur Jones Mrs. Elizabeth Jones Jerry and Geneva Jones Mrs. Kathryn Landry John W. Jordan Board of Directors, Management and Employees of Associated Grocers, Inc. Marcia Kapla n Kantrow Mr. and Mrs. Byron R. Kantrow, Jr. Faeq Sal em Karads heh Mr. Richard Bankston Mr. Richard Bisson Mr. and Mrs. Ron Mitchell Mr. Mark Murphy Ms. Heidi Thompson Mr. and Mrs. James Vilas Cl aude Kimbl e Mr. and Mrs. Alex Wall, Jr. Mildred Kimbal l Mr. and Mrs. Alex W. Wall, Jr.

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Wallace A. Kitchens Mrs. Edith Kitchens Evelyn Knight Jake and Erin Credo Martin Koch Dr. and Mrs. Mortimer F. Currier Nell B . Lacour Ms. Gert Lacour Enrique L aluz Dr. and Mrs. C. Verne Brian Dennis Earl Lan dry Mrs. Kathryn Landry Sabin and Laura Landry Mrs. Kathryn Landry Ed Lan e Dr. Dominique Homberger Sandy Langston Mr. and Mrs. Wade Millet Mignon Patton Las seter Mr. and Mrs. George Boggan Mrs. Millie Edwards Tom and Pat Hightower Mr. and Mrs. Jay Parker Ms. Janet Pounds Family of Annette P. Ward Carrol l L. Lartigue Mr. Robert Lartigue P ixie Bridgforth Laufersw eiler Mrs. Barbara Parker Mary Kling Leader Mr. David Jordan Anna Lebl anc L eB ea u Ms. Ruth Bergeron Dr. Harry Brown Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Foster Mr. Herman Frederic Mr. and Mrs. Scott Irwin Mr. and Mrs. Richard Skolny Mr. William Somers St. Ignatius Home and School Association Mr. and Mrs. Glynn Villemarette Ms. Monica Wiley Janice P. Lebla nc Board of Directors, Management and Employees of Associated Grocers, Inc. Linda V. Lee Mr. and Mrs. G. Lee Griffin Will iam Levin e Dr. Francine Rebhun Dr. Susan Trager Terri-Ellen Wasserstein Jeff Locicero Mrs. Frances B. Ray Edw in a Luedtke Mr. Alton Luedtke Eric Lugenbuhl Salmen Family Foundation Cynthia Ann Mal in a Dianne H. Griffin Marjorie Malone Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Baldwin Doris Mascarel la Mr. and Mrs. James Mascarella Dixie Tanguis M cCutcheon Mr. and Mrs. John Kaiser

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Katie Allen M cNabb Mrs. Mary Allen Father of Ken Miller Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Maurice L. “Roy” Miller Gary and Susan Koederitz Mr. and Mrs. Darrin Simpson Mrs. Stacey Simpson-Calvert/ State Farm Insurance La rry Mus grove Mrs. Frank Norwood Geral dine G. Nerre Mr. Michael F. Cammarosano David Noel Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth D. Maher, Sr. Terrel R. Pal mis ano Board of Directors, Management and Employees of Associated Grocers, Inc. Cecil Sloan Parker Out to Lunch Bunch Sandra Ann Parsons Helen Parsons Ranny G. Pearce Mr. and Mrs. Frank Pearce, Jr. Mrs. Judy B. Pearce Ba rbara Patrick Pay ne Audubon General Contractors, Inc. Torris J. Pel ichet Mr. and Mrs. Morise Duffin Our House for Respite Maudine Spears Pepe Mr. and Mrs. Angelo J. Pepe Fred P ickeren Mr. and Mrs. Stephen McCord Charles A. “ B oogy” Prejean Phi Lambda Epsilon National Fraternity Komal Shah Zoe Keefe Purs el l Mr. Wallace G. Pursell T homas R. Rams ay Ms. Jane Hodges Marjorie Reed Mr. G. E. Reed, Jr. Albert J. Richardson, Jr. Mrs. Dora J. Richardson John and Lalette Roberts Mr. and Mrs. Adrian Harris Ken ny Roy Mrs. Carolyn Fernbaugh Sedonia Ruggia Mr. and Mrs. James N. Prine Regina Sanchez Ms. Dorothy Webre Hilma Sass au Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Washington Elizabeth Craven Savoie Mr. and Mrs. M. E. Hoover Edw ard Shanklin Board of Directors, Management and Employees of Associated Grocers, Inc. B ernita M . Schofield Pat and Billy Smith Roger Wayne Sigler Ms. Molly S. Morgan David Sims Ms. Clara Earl

Al mon C. Smith Mrs. Carolina S. Smith Mike Smith Mr. and Mrs. Ronald H. Lock Gail Stal lcup Mr. and Mrs. Luther Despino John Staneff Mr. and Mrs. A. Steve Allison Ma ry El len Stapl eton Board of Directors, Management and Employees of Associated Grocers, Inc. Ma lcolm and Stel la Stein , Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm T. Stein, Jr. Carlos Terrell Mr. and Mrs. Donald Piatt San tina Titone Dr. and Mrs. C. Verne Brian Jos ie Torres Dana and Myles Kirkland Henr y O. Toups , III Board of Directors, Management and Employees of Associated Grocers, Inc. Ma ry Beth Tow ns end Acadiana Bridge Association Ken, Gerri and Pat Lacour Ma ry Sue Trul l Mr. Kenneth I. Trull Sal vador “ Sammy” Trupiano Gayle and Ronnie Cheek Ms. Lois Falk Mrs. Mindy Gibbons Blanche Gulotta C.J. and Keith Ladner Alice F. Mathews Jacki and Larry Perrin Mr. George Peterson Jim and Connie Seitz Mettery and Mary Ann Sherry Mr. and Mrs. John Stumpf, Jr. Dorothy Margaret Vance Ms. Carol Page Mr. and Mrs. Brian Plunk Wal lace Wa ddel l Mrs. Cheryl L. Waddell Lue Margie Was hington Ms. Lawona Washington Ma rteal Webb Mr. and Mrs. Robert Campbell Doll y Wesl ey Mr. and Mrs. William Persick Helen Wheel er Mr. Gaylan Loveless Shirl yn P. White Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Roy Ha zel Wil liams Ms. LaRue Jolly Mrs. Mary Livingston Ms. Salli Phillips Mrs. Judy Pol Ms. Karen Spriggs Ma rgaret E. Wils on Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Wilson William Wright Dana and Myles Kirkland Viol et Yarbrough Warren Wheeler

www.marybird.org • Volume 2 2010

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The Future of Cancer Care Starts Now. With your help now, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Foundation will make a difference in the future.

• Everyone in our community can turn to Mary Bird Perkins for the cancer care they need.

• The most advanced treatment and support services available.

M A R Y B I R D P E R K I N S C A N C E R C E N T E R F O U N D AT I O N

• Awareness and prevention programs that help stop cancer before it starts or catches it early so it can be more successfully treated.

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THE MISSION IS SIMPLE:

• Vital research that improves care and saves lives. But we need to do more.

Build an Endowment to Fight Cancer

With your support, we can make sure services and new advances in cancer care are available for you, your children and your grandchildren through Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Foundation. Our mission is simple: build an endowment to fight cancer. This will ensure that patients and families have access to all the services they need—now and in the future—and that valuable cancer research continues.

A

radiation oncologist practicing at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center for the past 29 years, 15 of those years as its medical director, Sheldon Johnson, M.D., grew up on a poultry farm in Poplarville,

Miss.

After graduating from medical school at the University of Mississippi in Jackson, Dr. Johnson practiced in several geographic locations over seven years before deciding to settle in Baton Rouge. “I like Baton Rouge,” Johnson said. “It’s in the South, it’s close to home, and I like the people here. It’s a good community.” Johnson’s wife Judi, whom he met at Mary Bird Perkins, was a radiation therapist at the time. “I enjoyed working with the patients, getting to see them every day,” she explained. “The patients with a positive attitude were wonderful. I think attitude makes all the difference.”

When Dr. Johnson and Judi married almost 17 years ago, they were mindful of the importance of estate planning in light of their newly blended families. Aside from such things as advanced directives and powers of attorney, the Johnsons wanted to make a provision in their will for Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Foundation. “It’s been my

CANCER CENTER FOUNDATION MARY BIRD PERKINSperspective

Continued on page 29

Our first milestone is to grow the endowment. As gifts are invested and generate additional funds, your support will have an impact far beyond Mary Bird Perkins. The Foundation will award grants for both Mary Bird Perkins and other area nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping cancer patients and their families.

Your gift will help patients and their families receive all the programs and services they need, when they need them.

And with your support, sophisticated research that saves lives will continue until cancer is cured.

For information please contact the Office of Development at (225) 215-1224 or at foundation@marybird.com

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Secret Givers Impact Mary Bird Perkins

T

heir foresight will leave a legacy for the future, but we never had the chance to say thank you.

Raymond Gettier was a meticulous planner. After retiring from Uniroyal as a quality control manager, he began to meet with his attorney, Bob Hawthorne, in 1979. His first estate plans were simple: leave everything to his wife, Mary. Sadly, Mary passed away in 2001.

“It took him nearly two years to really decide what to do,” Bob said.

With thoughtful dedication, this mild-mannered gentleman chose to divide his estate among three nonprofit organizations, including Mary Bird Perkins.

The substantial bequest was an amazing surprise to the Development Staff of Mary Bird Perkins, who had never even met Mr. Gettier and learned of his generosity several months after he passed away. In his honor, Mary Bird Perkins established an endowed fund bearing the names of both Mr. Gettier and his wife Mary.

Eleanor Newmann lost her spouse and had no children. While she suffered from Parkinson’s disease, her husband died of prostate cancer and her mother lost an arm after several surgeries during her battle with cancer. “Cancer was very near to her heart,” said

Henrietta Jones, Eleanor’s best friend and executor of her estate.

With a bubbly, loving personality, Eleanor volunteered at Mary Bird Perkins after retiring from LSU. Two weeks before her sudden death, Eleanor wrote her estate plans with Henrietta, creating a legacy that included a gift to Mary Bird Perkins and two additional nonprofit organizations.

“Gifts like these—whether large or small—have a significant impact on Mary Bird Perkins and allow the donors’ names to live in perpetuity,” said Ethan Bush, senior development officer, Mary Bird Perkins. “We could not be more grateful, and we wish we had been able to know these wonderful individuals and to thank them personally for their thoughtfulness and generosity. I would have loved the opportunity to meet such benevolent friends who chose to make a difference in the fight against cancer through their estate plans. It would have been an honor.”

If you have named Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Foundation in your estate plans or are considering making a gift, please give us a call! Your gift can remain anonymous, if you wish, and you are free to change your mind. We would love to help you write your own legacy—and extend our gratitude.

By making a gift to Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Foundation, your gift—and your legacy— will touch people’s lives forever.

“You want the organization to be a good steward.”

Dr. Sheldon Johnson

Continued from previous page life,” stated Dr. Johnson. “The structure of the Center, how it came to be created – there are so many ways in which it is unique. Judi and I believe it’s something that needs to continue.

We wanted to help ensure a strong legacy of cancer care for generations to come.”

support research, education and expert treatment. “The mission is simple: build an endowment to fight cancer,” he said. “This will ensure that patients and families have access to all the services they need – now and in the future – and that valuable cancer research continues.”

Cautioning that one must be very thoughtful when considering leaving a portion of one’s estate to any organization, Dr. Johnson said, “You want the organization to be a good steward. You should agree with its mission and know the institution has a structure in place where the money will be administered wisely. You want to give to an organization that will be there for a long time.” As the Center prepares to celebrate its 40th birthday in 2011, Dr. Johnson would like to see more people make gifts to the endowment to

Johnson described Baton Rouge as a community where many people give back, setting an example for others. “Judi and I want to be among those setting the example, encouraging others to give,” he explained. “Otherwise, we could have done it anonymously.”

Johnson said the work continues. “We want our children to be able to tell their children that we did some good things here. We want our children and grandchildren to understand how important it is to give back.” www.marybird.org • Volume 2 2010

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M A RY B I R D P E R K I N S C A N C E R C E N T E R F O U N D AT I O N

Tidying Up Your Year-End Plans Small Moves that Can Pay Off The end of the year is an opportune time to be tax-savvy with your finances. Now is the time to make sure you have a plan in place to protect your wealth with valuable and often overlooked tax deductions. Making these moves now can help save you from an unnecessary tax bite in 2011.

Start by estimating how much income you expect to bring in by the end of 2010. Knowing this information can help you decide how much you may want to give to favorite causes, resulting in reduced income taxes.

Below are a few innovative year-end giving ideas that can reduce your potential tax hit or even boost your income this year while getting a tax break.

Giving and Receiving When you support our mission, you not only make a difference in the lives of others, but you also receive a tax deduction. You can usually itemize and write off the amount you’re donating, resulting in lower taxable income. If you are unsure whether your gift is tax-deductible, you can always check with us.

Getting Income from Your Gift Whether you’re still working or retired, you may decide after assessing your finances that you need more income. Consider setting up a life income gift to benefit a charitable organization such as Mary Bird Perkins. In exchange for your gift of cash or securities, or possibly real estate, you or a beneficiary you designate receive income for life. Plus, you get a partial charitable tax deduction the year you make the gift. Once the payment period ends—or you or your beneficiary passes on—the remaining assets go to us.

Using Tax-Smart Strategies to Make Gifts Consider donating appreciated property instead of cash. If you give us property you have owned for more than a year, the amount you can write off is the asset’s value on the day you make the gift. So, if the property has increased in value while you’ve owned it, you won’t owe tax on its appreciation. If the property’s value is now below your original purchase price, you could sell to take a capital loss as allowed by law, thus reducing your taxable income. Then, donate the cash to us. Both cases are win-win situations—you help us while smartly managing your taxes.

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MARY BIRD PERKINSperspective

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How to Remember Us Sample Bequest Language for Your Will The official legal bequest language for Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Foundation is: “I, [name of donor, city, state], give to Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Foundation [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose.”

“I, [name of donor, city, state], give to Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Foundation [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property]. My unrestricted gift is to be used for the endowment of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Foundation to address the evolving needs of the organization based on the mission and vision of the Foundation.”

If you prefer to remain anonymous, your gift will be kept completely confidential. However, recognition of your gift can encourage others to do the same. Whatever the case, we will honor your wishes–because we appreciate your support immensely.

Thank You! It is through your generosity that together, we can make a difference in the lives of others.

For More Information If you need any other specific information about a bequest, please contact the Office of Development at (225) 215-1224 or foundation@marybird.com. www.marybird.org • Volume 2 2010

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NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

BATON ROUGE, LA PERMIT NO. 603

4950 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70809 Address Service Requested

After Rita was diagnosed with throat cancer, she and her family compared treatment facilities all over the country.

Together they determined that Mary Bird Perkins was the best choice. It had also been Rita’s first choice.

“Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center has a great reputation,” she says, “so I knew that’s where I wanted to go.

And they were all wonderful to me.”

Baton Rouge | Covington | Gonzales | Hammond | Houma

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