From the Desk of Dr. Louis M. Weiner

As an idyllic spring weekend winds to a close I am sitting at home, waiting for David and his new wife Kelly to stop by for a casual meal on the patio. They returned from their honeymoon yesterday and had a wonderful time. We’re looking forward to seeing at least a couple of the thousand or so photos of beautiful beaches and impossibly blue water they probably took. The weekend started with a phone call from a dear friend in Baltimore, who had been hospitalized for a possible cardiac event. We scurried up I-95 as she was undergoing a cardiac catheterization that turned out to show no problems. So, a frightening episode turned into an opportunity to stop by and say hi to Elana, Ben and our grandkids, followed by a nice dinner with our friend and her husband. Today was highlighted by our trip to the finish line of the the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Led by the remarkable Jeannie Mandelblatt, the Lombardi/CBCC team. more than 90 walkers strong, raised $237,000 to be the leading team in the Washington walk by a comfortable margin. At the closing ceremonies Tesha Coleman accepted a check of $200,000 to support the CBCC, Bob Glazer received $100,000 to support his research in breast cancer prevention and Elmer Huerta of the MedStar Washington Hospital Center received $100,000 to do important survey and outreach work in Ward 5 of the District of Columbia. Well done, everybody! And, as always, a special shout-out to Jeannie for her amazing leadership of the Lombardi-CBCC team. Remember, in 2008 the team had five walkers and raised $9000; 273 miles (i.e., 7 years) later – plus who knows how many more miles of training walks – our name and outreach efforts are truly linked to this great event and important cause. And make no mistake – this has happened because jeannie’s passion, commitment and persistence have convinced so many people to make this cause their cause.

And make no mistake – the cause is noble. Preventing and curing breast cancer remains an urgent priority, but the outreach to our community is especially important and impactful. The CBCC provides mammography screening and follow up to underserved women, many of whom are the unsung heroes who maintain the strength of their families and communities in challenging environments. It is unconscionable that they should lack access to appropriate health services, least of all potentially life-saving mammography. I can think of nothing we do at Lombardi that is more resonant with Georgetown University’s principles of Cura Personalis than our work at the CBCC. And I have no doubt that the enduring strength of our relationship with the Avon Foundation has been based to a significant degree on the commitment of our Lombardi-CBCC team to the Walk. This is truly a “win-win”! So, as Jeannie and the rest of her team soak their aching feet and cramping calves they should do so while basking in the glow of an important job that has been well done. They have helped women they do not know and never will meet to have better lives. Could there be a better way to spend a beautiful weekend? Not even a honeymoon can top that!

I will be up in Boston for a few days this coming week as a Visiting Professor, and hope you have an interesting and productive week.