“Don’t mess with Texas women” the bright pink postcard declared from its place on the Capitol Gift Shop shelf. The message was particularly apropos on Breast Health Advocacy Day in Austin as 34 advocates engaged with 68 legislative offices in the daylong series of meetings.
Organized by the Breast Health Collaborative of Texas, the advocacy issues covered by the group included the importance of continued funding for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas as well as the Breast and Cervical Cancer Services plus an emphasis on the value of Community Health Workers.
Several Community Health Workers and representatives from various breast health organizations were among the participants who traveled from Alvin, Austin, Brownsville, Beaumont, Conroe, Eagle Pass, Grand Prairie, Hidalgo, Houston, Humble, and Missouri City. Lyn Widlaski, executive director of BHCT, and members of the BHCT staff were joined by members of other advocacy groups, support groups, and service providers like The Rose.
With a major rally taking place on the Capitol steps, performances by local schools in the rotunda, an unusually high number of special interest groups dropping in on legislative offices and committee hearings consuming the Representatives’ and Senators’ day, many of the scheduled visits were with legislative staffs. After a brief welcome on the House floor by Rep. Sarah Davis, a breast cancer survivor and the representative for the district which encompasses the Texas Medical Center and The Rose Galleria location, advocates faithfully shared their own stories of successful prevention and survival and then left information packets behind for later reference.
At least one CHW took full advantage of meetings with lawmakers as she helped turn a planned photo with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst on the Senate floor into an impromptu invitation to a gathering of a subgroup of the Senate Finance Committee.
After posing for the photo with Lt. Gov. Dewhurst, Maria Linares, a frequent volunteer at The Rose and a breast cancer survivor, introduced herself. She then quickly shared her initial struggle of trying to locate help when she first learned she had cancer and the critical role the Patient Navigator had played when she finally connected with The Rose. Maria concluded with the affirmation that she had been so inspired by her Navigator that she had quit her job of 15 years and enrolled in the CHW program at HCC.
Pulling her certification card from her pocket, she said, “One of the best days of my life was when I was given this card which certifies that I can help any woman in the state avoid the frustration of not knowing what her next step should be.”
Visibly affected by the testimonial, Lt. Gov. Dewhurst began asking questions about the CHW program.
Dorothy Gibbons, CEO and Co-Founder of The Rose, quickly filled in the details regarding the potential impact of expansion and cost-savings to the state. The Lt. Gov. then invited her to share her summary with Senators who were gathered nearby for another meeting. She agreed and the two left the Sentate floor as the advocates cheered and the Legislative Aide appeared startled at what he said rarely happens during a photo shoot.
Gibbons then had the opportunity to meet with several representatives and tell them of the impact of The Rose’s mobile units in their districts as well as underscore the value of CHWs.
“Maria helped put a face on breast health issues that so often can just be facts and figures on a page,” said Gibbons. “I was extremely pleased to have our day of advocacy end on such a positive note.”
