The Rose at 39: Dorothy and Dixie Discuss Barriers, Hope, and Healing
The Rose turns 39! Join founders Dorothy Gibbons and Dr. Dixie Melillo as they share stories of hope, dignity, and care for every woman, especially those told there’s no way forward. This special episode honors their legacy, tackles barriers for the uninsured, and reveals why The Rose means a better life for thousands.
More Than Mammograms: How Anna Turns Grants Into Lifesaving Care
In this episode, Anna Caballero explains how she matches The Rose’s mission with state programs, foundations, and local donors, why rural counties and maintenance funds matter as much as screening dollars, and how her own mother’s late‑stage breast cancer diagnosis shaped her passion for access and self‑advocacy. She shares how today’s funders expect data, outcomes, and systems change, and why she still believes every mammogram sits inside a much bigger story of community health, navigation, and follow‑up.
When Reimbursement Shrinks and Need Grows: A New CEO’s View From The Rose
During this conversation, COO Jessica Duckworth sits down with Angie Lane to talk about what surprised her most in her first six weeks, why 3D mammography on five pink coaches is non‑negotiable for twenty‑six Texas counties with no freestanding imaging, and how shrinking insurance and Medicare payments make patient navigation and financial stewardship core to The Rose’s future.
Peace, Love, and The Rose – A Sneak Peek at Shrimp Boil 2026
Special Events Manager Shannon McNair takes us behind the scenes of The Rose’s annual Shrimp Boil, a nearly 40‑year tradition where fresh Gulf shrimp, auctions, raffles, and desserts turn a casual Saturday with 800 of your closest friends and family into a lifeline for breast health for women in our 45-county service area.
On the Road for Early Detection
Some women clear their calendar for a mammogram. Others step onto a 40-foot pink coach in their office parking lot. As Director of Mobile Services at The Rose, Shelly Kot oversees a pink fleet of five mobile mammography coaches that deliver the same 3D breast cancer screening you’d get in a breast health center, to women across 45 Southeast Texas counties. During this conversation, she talks about the moving parts that keep those rolling clinics on the road, the disappointment when a failed generator or quality check shuts a mobile day down, and why she still puts on a badge and does mammograms herself. She also shares how being raised by her grandparents, working inside both nonprofit and for-profit systems, and parenting a daughter shapes the way she teaches women to push for answers when something feels wrong.
Access to Treatment Takes More Than a Pathology Report
Being uninsured, speaking a different language, or not understanding a 40-page form should never decide who lives or dies. In this episode, patient navigators Laura Tovar and Elizabeth Esparza walk us through what really happens after an uninsured woman hears “you have breast cancer” at The Rose. They explain how they review applications before diagnosis, sit in the room with the radiologist, and answer the first question they always hear: “How am I going to pay for this?” They also talk about the maze behind programs like Medicaid for Breast and Cervical Cancer and Harris Health, what it takes to keep coverage from lapsing in the middle of chemo, and the extreme steps some families take, from moving counties to divorcing, just to qualify. Along the way, Laura and Elizabeth share what it costs them emotionally to carry these stories, why they sometimes cry with husbands and children, and how quilts, gas cards, summer camps, and rent assistance become part of making sure no woman has to face breast cancer or the paperwork alone.
Early Screening, Genetic Testing, and Hope After Loss to Metastatic Breast Cancer
After losing her mother to de novo metastatic breast cancer, Elise turned grief into long term advocacy and board service at The Rose. She demystifies modern metastatic care, clinical trials, and lifelong treatment while urging women of every age to push for screenings and answers.
She Lost Her Job, Then Found a Lump In Her Breast
Diagnosed with DCIS while underinsured and between jobs, Ayanna Wilcher found compassionate biopsy care at The Rose and chose her own path through mastectomy and multiple opinions. Now, she leads survivor work and Rising in Grace, delivering post mastectomy comfort kits and community.
Meet the Interim CEO Guiding The Rose Through Change
Named interim CEO, Katherine Parsley brings decades of courtroom, nonprofit, and judicial experience to The Rose. As a longtime patient and daughter of a survivor, she centers early mammograms, steady leadership, and practical encouragement for a largely women led team in transition.
Farewell Rose Family
After nearly 40 years, Dorothy is passing the torch as CEO of The Rose. She joins us on the podcast as our esteemed guest, answering questions from fans of the show as well as The Rose team.