Blog

VBCF Welcomes New Staff Member & Expands to Southwest VA

Please join us in welcoming Catherine Warren, the newest team member on VBCF’s staff! Catherine came on board on July 1st as VBCF’s Senior Director of Southwest Virginia, based in Roanoke. She will extend and strengthen VBCF’s reach into this region, offering education and advocacy program services and development. Based on the latest breast cancer…
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How to Get the Most Out of Your Doctor’s Appointments

Meeting with a doctor can be intimidating. It can feel like they have “secret” information about our health, and they hold all the power because they decide which of our health concerns are treated and how. Patients need to be their own health advocates! We want to be sure that we leave each appointment feeling…
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In Honor of Juneteenth: Black Pioneers in Medicine

In honor of Juneteenth, VBCF would like to highlight some African American medical pioneers and their roles in the field of cancer and in the state of Virginia. Thanks to these men, women, and institutions, medical advances have been made and continue to be made. Without their contributions, medical care would likely not be what it is today. Their influential contributions have had profound impacts in their respective fields.

30 Years of Breast Health Education

One of the founding reasons for the creation of VBCF in 1991 was the lack of education in the general public around breast cancer. For this reason, we remain committed to educating communities across the Commonwealth about breast cancer in any way that we can

A Marathon, Not a Sprint

“As someone with metastatic breast cancer, I know that this is a marathon, not a sprint. And, access to treatment is so important. Why should I have to wait up to 2 years for the benefits I already qualify for?” Anne, Virginia Advocate speaking about the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act VBCF volunteer…
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VBCF Says Goodbye to a Friend – Rita Handley

Like most women diagnosed, Rita Handley had no history of breast cancer in her family when she found out she had it. In January 1997, she was diagnosed with stage II, node-negative breast cancer. In June 2001, she was diagnosed with stage IV bone metastasis. She found VBCF through her Bosom Buddies support group, joining…
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Which Screening Guidelines are the “Right” Ones?

Which Screening Guidelines are the “Right” Ones? We want to unpack this conversation a little bit, and hopefully provide some clarity in what YOU should do with this information.

Collage of VBCF advocates

30 Years of Advocacy

One of VBCF’s first advocacy events was a Mothers’ Day Rally at the General Assembly to urge legislators to focus more funding on screening and treatment for breast cancer. Our advocacy work has never stopped. VBCF hosts an annual State Breast Cancer Advocacy Day and organizes volunteer advocates to participate in national breast cancer lobby day.

NATIONAL BREAST CANCER COALITION (NBCC) 2021 VIRTUAL LOBBY DAY

Pictured above is our Zoom meeting with Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-9th) in 2020 “Travel” virtually to Capitol Hill with us! VBCF is preparing for another virtual NBCC Breast Cancer Lobby Day this year due to the ongoing pandemic. Our 2020 virtual lobby day was a big success with several of our meetings with US Representatives…
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The Heart of Our Community – VBCF Honors National Volunteer Week

The very origins of the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation (VBCF) have our grassroots in volunteer work. We couldn’t continue our mission without the many individuals who have dedicated their time to go the extra mile for our community. In celebration of National Volunteer Week 2021, we are honoring a group of our most impactful volunteers. Staff…
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