This is Breast Cancer Action Month. I believe we are all beyond the awareness piece. And yet there is still a need to take action while gathering vital information.
This event is designed to focus on health/wellness and in doing so addresses women's health and specifically the needs of those with an increased risk for or impacted by breast cancer.
About our panelists:
Yuan, Yuan M.D.: Dr. Yuan Yuan is Professor and Director of Breast Oncology at Cedars-Sinai Cancer Institute. She also serves as the Medical Director for Breast Cancer Research at Cedars. She holds an MB in Medicine, MS in Oncology and Ph.D. Biochemistry & Molecular Biology as well as other specialized training certifications. Dr. Yuan completed her Hematology & Oncology Fellowship at New York University Medical Center, New York. Her Residency and Internship in Internal Medicine, New York University Hospital and her Ph.D., University of California, Riverside. Her extensive translational research and clinical trial design experience in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) rendered her uniquely suited to support the P01 grant in TNBC. Her research focuses on translational and clinical studies investigating novel therapeutics in metastatic breast cancer. She has a strong background in basic sciences, clinical oncology, and translational medicine with specific interest in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) chemotherapy resistance and novel therapeutics. She is currently devoting 50% of full-time effort to clinical and translational research. She formerly held the position of Medical Director, Breast Cancer Immunotherapy, Division of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center. She has several awards and accolades for the excel of excellence in her work.
Vanessa D. Tatum, M.D.: Dr. Tatum is the president and co-founder, of Helping Hands Better Living Adult Day Care. She formerly served as a Clinical Professor at the University of California Irvine Medical School from 1988-1990 and as a Clinical Professor of the Nurse Practitioner Program University of Phoenix concurrently from 1998-2000; with over 25 years of experience 5 years of which she served as chairman of the board of the Risk Management Committee at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and 6 years as chairman of the Risk Management Committee at Daniel Freeman Medical Center in Inglewood, California. Dr. Tatum holds an extensive background in Communications. She served as the National Television Medical Consultant for American Lung Association, Children’s Television Workshop “Sesame Street” Medical Consultant for Health Educational Projects and as a Medical Expert Witness Asbestosis Cases & Pulmonary Mold Diseases in California Superior Court System. Dr. Tatum is also responsible for the design of the medical, nursing, and therapeutic portion of the Helping Hands Adult Day Care’s facility policies and procedures. This doctor ensures quality and excellence in delivering program services through continuous surveillance and continuing staff education programming. Medical, Legal, Risk Management and Insurance Utilization Review experiences have been invaluable in matters of Human Resources, California Title 22 regulatory compliance and licensing mandates.
Connie Lee, M.D.: Dr. Lee is a breast surgeon, a native of California and a former resident of New England. She graduated from Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and subsequently completed her general surgery residency training program at the University of Massachusetts. After finishing her general surgery residency training, Dr. Lee completed an SSO accredited Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship at University of Southern California, under the mentorship of Dr. Stephen Sener. Inspired by her experiences as the daughter of immigrants, Dr. Lee possesses a strong interest in caring for underprivileged individuals who are ill-equipped to advocate for themselves. She has always held interests in the fields of women’s health and breast cancer and is attentive to the complexities involved in effective patient and physician communication and in decision-making during times of distress. She is invested in playing an active role in fundraising and engaging in community events to raise breast cancer awareness and risk reduction. During her first year out of fellowship she was elected to the position of Cancer Liaison Physician where she played an integral part of obtaining Commission on Cancer Accreditation. The following year she was elected to be Chair of the Cancer Committee for the Cancer Center, a position she held for two consecutive years. She later joined a private practice in Long Beach to be closer to her family. She is currently affiliated with Long Beach Memorial, the Todd Cancer Institute, and Los Alamitos Hospital. Dr. Lee passed her certifying exam in the American Board of Surgery and is currently licensed in the state of California.
Jeanette Abney, LMFT: Jeanette Abney is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, business owner, motivational and personal empowerment public speaker. She currently hosts Precious Predicaments Blog Talk Radio. She also previously hosted her show at Voice America and co-hosted the Pros and Cons on the YouTube Channel. She possesses numerous degrees in both the fields of law enforcement, criminal justice, and counseling psychology. She holds many achievements and awards and is currently the president of the California Association for Domestic Violence in Orange County. She is also a Substance Abuse Evaluator, a trained sexual assault responder, a divorce mediator, and diversity leadership trainer. Jeanette comes with over 20 years of experience as a therapist providing mental health and relational counseling to children, teens, adults including seniors, couples, military personnel, and other professionals. She has over the years hosted several workshops and seminars with a focus on the family as a unit.