McDermott's Breast Cancer Care Pro Bono Work
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and Breast Care for Washington—the first and only state-of-the-art 3D technology breast screening center east of the Anacostia River—has been attending community health fairs and wellness events. BCW was founded in 2012, and opened its doors in 2014, with the help of McDermott Will & Emery's pro bono team. (Last October, we profiled McDermott legislative counsel and BCW board member Karen Sealander and BCW co-founder Beth Beck.) BCW is co-sponsoring an event with the Ward 7 Health Alliance and the Mayor’s Office on Women’s Policy Initiatives on Oct. 27 with Mayor Bowser and Ward 7 Council member Yvette Alexander as guests.
Beth says BCW has provided screening and diagnostic mammograms to 1,226 patients and has diagnosed nine cases of cancer. For 25% of their patients, "this is their first mammogram ever, demonstrating the need for this service in the community." BCW is looking for philanthropic support to buy a mobile screening unit, which they hope to launch as early as 2016. To help out, McDermott is planning a “jeans day” for Nov. 20, so attorneys and staff can wear jeans to work for the price of a charitable contribution to BCW.
