Mammographer with patient
mobile coaches
The Rose is a mission-driven nonprofit healthcare organization dedicated to saving lives through quality breast care services for all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. The Rose serves both insured and uninsured women, and is a major safety-net breast healthcare organization. The Rose has earned the highest accreditation from the American College of Radiology: a Breast Care Center of Excellence, and all patients are assured that they will receive the highest quality of service. The Rose provides direct medical services, including 3D mammograms, diagnostic ultrasounds, biopsies, and, when needed, navigation into treatment.
The Rose was established in 1986 by Dr. Dixie Melillo and Dorothy Gibbons, who wanted to ensure that a woman will not have to die from breast cancer because she does not have the money or insurance to cover a mammogram or treatment. Nationwide, uninsured women are 60% more likely than insured women to die from the disease. Today, The Rose serves 40,000 patients annually through two Houston-based Diagnostic Centers and Mobile Mammography coaches that travel to 43 counties in Southeast Texas. Each insured woman who gets her mammogram at The Rose knows that she is getting the highest level of care and is helping to support services for uninsured women. For every three insured women who get their mammograms at The Rose, the organization is able to serve one uninsured woman.
According to The Rose CEO Dorothy Gibbons, “Insured patients are a huge part of The Rose remaining sustainable and being able to serve so many uninsured patients year after year.” GHWCC Board member Theresa Einhorn serves as Chair of The Rose Board of Directors, and adds that there are other ways to help as well: in addition to donations, which are always appreciated and enable the Rose to continue its work, spreading awareness in the community about The Rose is important. As Dorothy notes, “My greatest fear is that a woman will find a breast problem and it will grow to an advanced stage simply because she does not know there is a place she can go -The Rose.”
Breast cancer is the second most common cause of death among women in Texas and remains a serious problem, especially for uninsured women who cannot access screening or diagnostic breast imaging services. Early detection is the key factor to survival.
Recently, The Rose launched the “Let’s Talk About Your Breasts” podcast with Dorothy Gibbons. Each week, Dorothy has candid conversations with an array of people in the breast cancer community. From physicians to survivors, to donors and individuals who influence policy, you’ll learn more about the disease and what you can do to for your own health and how to help impact change in your community.
For more information: www.therose.org
To access Podcasts go to www.therose/podcast or open with:
Dorothy Gibbons
Submitted by: Dorothy Gibbons, CEO and Cofounder, The Rose