Ralph Lauren Cancer Care and Prevention Center

The Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention Press Kit Prepared By

INDEX

3 … ABOUT 4 … MEET THE FOUNDER 5 … SAY HELLO TO OUR CEO 6 … SERVICES & PROGRAMS 7 … IN THE PRESS 8 … CONTACT

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ABOUT THE RALPH LAUREN CENTER FOR CANCER CARE AND PREVENTION

The Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention is a community based Center for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through new models of patient care, research, education and outreach designed to address the unique needs of the community. The Center, made possible by a generous gift from the Ralph Lauren Corporation, is a partnership with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

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MEET THE FOUNDER

DR. HAROLD P. FREEMAN Harold P. Freeman, M.D., is Chairman Emeritus and Founder of the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention. Dr. Freeman is also Senior Advisor to the Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, Maryland. He is a Professor of Clinical Surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, also in New York. For twenty five years (1974–1999), Dr. Freeman was Director of Surgery at Harlem Hospital in New York.

Dr. Freeman pioneered the “Patient Navigation Program” which addresses disparities in access to treatment, particularly among poor and uninsured people. This program is designed to assist medically underserved patients in navigating their way through a complex health system by overcoming barriers to timely diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The success of Dr. Freeman’s “Patient Navigation Program” has led many other health care organizations to adopt similar initiatives.

Based on this model the Patient Navigator and Chronic Disease Prevention Act was signed into law by President Bush in June 2005.

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“We are not a clinic; we are a center that wants to embrace the whole person in the context of their life and assist in whatever areas they need help.”

SAY HELLO TO OUR CEO DR. GINA VILLANI

Dr. Villani is a board certified medical oncologist, hematologist and internist. She earned her medical degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. After spending many years working within the New York City public hospital system and recognizing the disparities that exist in our current health care structure, Dr. Villani decided to pursue an education in public health and received her Masters in Health Policy and Management from Columbia University in November of 2006.

Prior to joining RLCCP Dr. Villani spent two years working for the National Urban League as their Vice President of Health. She later served as the Chief of Hematology and Oncology at The Brooklyn Hospital Center where she received a grant from the NYCDOH to improve colon cancer screening rates as well as a grant from the Komen Foundation for a breast health nurse navigator. In 2011 she received the Women of Excellence in Medicine award from the American Cancer Society for her work with underserved communities in Brooklyn. She has had several papers and abstracts accepted for publication regarding health disparities and has served on the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Health Disparities Advisory Committee as well as an advisor to the American Hospital Association.

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SERVICES ü Diagnostic and Treatment • Treatment of all adult cancers.

• Treatment of benign and malignant hematological disorders.

• Breast surgical services.

ü Patient Navigation •

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Financial counseling and assistance with accessing health insurance.

PROGRAMS ü Screening and Prevention • Comprehensive cancer screening for breast, prostate, colon and cervical cancer.

• Risk reduction programs such as weight reduction, stress management and exercise.

ü Clinical Nurse Navigators • •

Liaise between patient and physician.

Interfaces with primary care and other outside physicians.

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IN THE PRESS Prepared By

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CONTACT For Media Inquiries Email: pr@ralphlaurencenter.org CONNECT WITH US www.ralphlaurencenter.org

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