Sharsheret Founder Invited to Serve on Federal Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer

Sharsheret Founder Invited to Serve on Federal Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer

Elana Silber, Director of Operations
Telephone: (866) 474-2774
E-Mail: [email protected]

Teaneck, New Jersey (October 19, 2010) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) announced that it had invited Rochelle Shoretz, Founder and Executive Director of Sharsheret, to serve on the Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer in Young Women, a federal advisory committee established by the Affordable Care Act. Sharsheret, Hebrew for “chain”, is a national not-for-profit organization supporting young Jewish women and families, of all backgrounds, facing breast cancer. The recently enacted Affordable Care Act law charges CDC with the responsibility of developing initiatives to increase knowledge of breast health and breast cancer among women, particularly among those under the age of 40 and those at heightened risk for developing the disease.

“The Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer in Young Women will consist of external experts and stakeholders who will assist CDC in developing evidence-based approaches to advance understanding and awareness of breast cancer among young women,” said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “From prevention research, to education for health professionals, to designing and promoting awareness activities for the public, we look forward to working with the Committee to educate providers, patients and young women about breast cancer prevention and treatments.”

“I am honored to have been chosen to serve on the Federal Advisory Committee and excited to share all that we have learned at Sharsheret about the needs of young women facing breast cancer,” said Ms. Shoretz. “As the go-to organization for young Jewish women, many of whom carry mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, Sharsheret can help shape critical education and programmatic initiatives to increase knowledge and support for those at higher risk of developing breast cancer.”

Ms. Shoretz is a two-time breast cancer survivor, the founder of Sharsheret, and a former law clerk to United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. For her pioneering efforts in establishing Sharsheret, Ms. Shoretz was named a “Woman to Watch” by Jewish Woman Magazine and a Yoplait Champion in the Fight Against Breast Cancer, and was honored by the Philadelphia Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Israel Cancer Research Foundation. She is a Board member and graduate of the Joshua Venture Group fellowship of young leaders and the Berrie Fellows Leadership Program of the UJA Federation of Northern NJ. Ms. Shoretz is a graduate of the American Association of Cancer Research Scientist-Survivor Program. She has served as a resource for major media on issues related to breast cancer in young women. She has appeared on The Today Show, CBS News, Fox News and in more than 100 articles published online and in newspapers across the country, including the Wall Street Journal and USA Today.

The fifteen individuals invited to serve on the Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer in Young Women represent researchers, clinicians, advocates, and breast cancer survivors from across the country. In addition to Ms. Shoretz, the Advisory Committee includes:

• Ann H. Partridge, MD, MPH (Chair), Founder and Director of the Program for Young Women with Breast Cancer at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center in Boston
• Otis Webb Brawley, MD, Chief Medical Officer for the American Cancer Society and a practicing oncologist
• Melissa Watson, breast cancer survivor and a former Chief of Staff for Iowa State Senate Leader Mike Gronstal (D)
• Generosa Grana, MD, Director of the Cooper Cancer Institute, Vice Chair of the Breast Health Task Force of the American Cancer Society’s New Jersey division, and an advisory group member of the New Jersey State Commission on Cancer Research
• Brandin Hayes-Lattin, MD, Medical Director of the Knight Cancer Institute Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program at Oregon Health and Science University
• Maimah Karmo, breast cancer survivor and winner of a Congressional Black Caucus Leadership in Advocacy for her work with young women and breast cancer
• Karen Kelly-Thomas, PhD, RN, CAE, Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
• Lisa A. Newman, MD, MPH, Surgical Oncologist and Director of the Breast Care Center for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor
• Mavis Nitta, MPH, CHES, expert on culturally-appropriate cancer awareness and educational services as a Coordinator with the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum in San Francisco
• Jewel Mullen, MD, MPH, MPA, Director of the Community Health Access and Promotion at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health
• Joy Simha, breast cancer survivor and an advocate for young women with breast cancer with the National Breast Cancer Coalition
• Jeanne L. Steiner, DO, Medical Director of the Connecticut Mental Health Center
• Wendy Susswein, expert in philanthropic outreach and special interest groups
• Donald Warne, MD, advocate for Native American and minority health

About Sharsheret

Sharsheret is a national not-for-profit organization for young women and their families, of all Jewish backgrounds, facing breast cancer. Our mission is to offer a community of support to women diagnosed with breast cancer or at increased genetic risk, by fostering culturally-relevant individualized connections with networks of peers, health professionals, and related resources.

Since Sharsheret’s founding in 2001, we have responded to more than 19,000 breast cancer inquiries, involved more than 1,000 peer supporters, and presented over 200 educational programs nationwide. Sharsheret now offers a continuum of care for the Jewish community – addressing the needs of those who are concerned about the risk of breast cancer in their family, those who have been diagnosed with the disease and are undergoing treatment, and those who face issues of survivorship or recurrence.

Sharsheret has developed the following national programs:

The Link Program
Peer Support Network, connecting women newly diagnosed or at high risk of developing breast cancer one-on-one with others who share similar diagnoses and experiences
Embrace, supporting women living with advanced breast cancer
Genetics for Life, addressing hereditary breast and ovarian cancer
Busy Box, for young parents facing breast cancer
Best Face Forward to address the cosmetic side effects of treatment
Sharsheret Supports, assisting in launching and helping to sustain local support groups
Family Focus, providing resources and support for caregivers and family members
Education and Outreach Programs
Health Care Symposia, on issues unique to younger women facing breast cancer
Sharsheret on Campus, outreach to students on campus
Facing Breast Cancer as a Jewish Woman, educational resource booklet series

For more information about Sharsheret, please visit www.sharsheret.org or call (866) 474-2774.