Georgian First Lady Visits Capital Breast Care Center

Washington, DC, March 20, 2008 -- The First Lady of Georgia, Sandra Elisabeth Roelofs, visited Washington DC’s Capital Breast Care Center (CBCC) on Wednesday, March 19th to learn about U.S. efforts to prevent breast cancer. Roelofs chairs the Reproductive Health Council under the Ministry of Labor, Health, and Social Affairs in the Republic of Georgia. Roelofs, who became First Lady in 2004, is also Founder and Director of SOCO, a charitable organization which works to improve reproductive health and child welfare in Georgia.

Following a visit with President Bush and the First Lady, Roelofs, who is married to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, toured the CBCC. Hosted by Executive Director Amari Sokoya Pearson-Fields, MPH, and Medical Director Jennifer Eng-Wong, MD, MPH, Roelofs learned about breast cancer prevention activities in the United States and the Center’s outreach efforts to underserved women in the Washington, DC area.

Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in Georgia, with breast and cervical cancers causing the highest mortality among women. Roelofs’ efforts with the Georgian Reproductive Health Council contributed to founding the first free breast cancer screening clinic in Tblisi, the capital, where women ages 40 to 69 can receive consultation and mammography.

First Lady Sandra Roelofs with CBCC Executive Director Amari Sokoya Pearson-Fields.

“There are a lot of similarities with the Georgian situation, where women are often not enrolled in an insurance program,” said Roelofs. “We are proud that we’ve been able to make local government and other donors responsible for starting breast and cervical cancer screening. It’s high time we get screening started!”

Washington, DC has the highest mortality from breast cancer in the United States, and the CBCC was formed in 2004 to serve the populations most at risk – those who are medically underserved or do not have health insurance. The CBCC provides mammograms and breast health education to women regardless of their ability to pay, and aims to make annual mammograms a normal part of life. To date, the Center has screened more than 4000 women.

“The Capital Breast Care Center was founded to address the high mortality from breast cancer in Washington, DC,” said Eng-Wong. “We have focused on making screening accessible to women in this area, so patients can overcome their fear.”

The centerpiece of the CBCC’s successful service model is accessibility. Located in the Eastern Market neighborhood of Washington, DC, a block from a metro station and several bus lines, the CBCC offers a calm and inviting environment. With evening and weekend hours, as well as child care during visits and special programs in the waiting area, the Center is able to reduce many of the barriers which prevent women from being screened.

“We are delighted to host the Georgian First Lady and her team at the Capital Breast Care Center,” added Pearson-Fields. “It was interesting to learn that some of the challenges we face in DC are actually relevant internationally as well.”

The visit was made possible by the Georgian Association in the United States. Executive Director of the Association, Maka Gabelia said, “I learned about the First Lady’s initiatives around breast cancer screening in Georgia last fall. I know she’s open to applying experiences and lessons from elsewhere to Georgia’s healthcare system, so I thought she would learn a lot from visiting the CBCC.”

The Georgian Association is a nonpartisan nationwide membership organization of Georgian-Americans and friends of Georgia.

Roelofs also met Michelle Fenty, Chair of the CBCC’s Advisory Board and First Lady of the District of Columbia, on Thursday, March 20th. She toured with Mariella Jefft, RN, MS, formerly a researcher at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and wife of the U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, and Dr. Levan Jugel who serves as chief medical officer for the Breast Cancer Screening Center in Tbilisi.