FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Holy Cross Hospital is proud to honor Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz as its 2011 Cancer Survivor of the Year. The announcement was made at the hospital’s annual celebration of life luncheon, which was attended by a lively group of more than 300 guests, the largest group of participants in the last five years.
After announcing in March 2009 that she had been diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer, Congresswoman Wasserman-Schultz became an even stronger advocate for health issues. She introduced the Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act, which passed as law as a part of the Affordable Health Care for America Act. It directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop and implement a national education campaign about the threat of breast cancer to all young women, but particularly for women of historically ethnic, cultural, and racial minorities.
The Celebration of Life Luncheon, hosted by the Michael and Dianne Bienes Comprehensive Cancer Center at Holy Cross, commemorates National Cancer Survivors Day. Administrators, doctors, nurses and Associates joined patients and their families for this occasion, including the annual candle lighting ceremony. Patient Access Coordinator Laticia Rand of the Cancer Center’s Infusion Department passionately read a special poem written for the occasion.
More than 12 million Americans alive today are cancer survivors, according to the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation, Inc. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 64 percent of adults whose cancer is diagnosed today can expect to be living in five years.
About Holy Cross Hospital:
A member of Catholic Health East, Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. is a full-service, non-profit Catholic hospital, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. Since opening its doors in 1955, the 571-bed hospital has offered progressive services and programs to meet the evolving healthcare needs of Broward County. Today, Holy Cross has more than 600 physicians on staff representing more than 40 specialties and more than 3,000 employees. The hospital is fully accredited by the independent Joint Commission and its medical team has earned a reputation for excellence unsurpassed in the community. To learn more about Holy Cross, visit www.holy-cross.com.