Archive - August 2019

Essentially Women is gearing up for another great Focus Conference. Focus Conference 2020 will be held February 8-10, 2020 at the Hilton Tampa Downtown in Tampa, FL.  We are very excited to feature Julie Larson, LCSW, sponsored by American Breast Care, as one of our two keynote speakers. Julie is a licensed clinical social worker who has spent her career working in oncology supportive care. She works primarily with individuals under the age of 40 years facing an unexpected medical diagnosis.   Julie’s

A recent research study recently found that home-based exercise and/or weight loss intervention failed to improve breast cancer-related lymphedema outcomes among breast cancer survivors who are overweight. The study was conducted by Kathryn H. Schmitz, PhD, MPH, professor in the department of public health sciences and in the department of physical medicne and rehabilitation at Penn State Cancer Institute and hypothesized that combining weight loss and exercise would achieve the greatest reduction

HER2 stands for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. It can refer to either the HER2 gene or protein HER2. HER2 proteins are receptors that sit on the surface of breast cells and usually help control the growth and repair of healthy breast tissue.  If the HER2 gene becomes faulty and starts making multiple copies of itself, it results in an overproduction of HER2 proteins on the surface of the breast cells and can result in HER2-positive cancer. HER2-negative breast cancer can

A new study conducted by the University of Kentucky examined breast cancer survivors' experiences with communicating with their oncology team about employment and work issues.  Published in the Journal of Cancer Education, the study leaders conducted 24 qualitative interviews with Kentucky breast cancer survivors who were working 30 hours per week or more at the time of diagnosis. More than 70 percent of those interviewed reported no communication or only routine communication with their

Decisions. We know how overwhelming and stressful they can be, especially for those in our community. Two, One or None. The decision is yours, and yours alone. However, when it comes to making a choice on breast surgery or options post-mastectomy, not all are available or even covered by insurance. Take custom breast prostheses for example, this limits choices even more. At AnaOno, we know decisions are personal and no two individuals are alike. We should all be able to decide what is best for us.

Kim Neel of Alala When a woman hears she has beaten breast cancer, her life should improve. The fight is over, she’s in the clear, it’s time for things to go back to normal. But, as everyone in the industry knows, that is simply not the case. Side effects of the treatment that saved her life can lead to conditions like lymphedema – a condition that can cause fibrosis, infection, pain, and impaired functioning of the affected body part. Kim Neel, cofounder of Alala, has made it

Shopping for new software can be exciting, but choosing the right solution is only half of the equation. Making sure your organization is able to realize the full potential of the technology it has decided to implement is just as important is managing the change and transition. Jennifer Keiser outlined a step-by-step plan for home medical equipment (HME) providers, home infusion pharmacies and other homecare businesses looking to implement a technology change, including planning for the change

On January 23, 2019, the DMEPOS and Home Health Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) Performant added Pneumatic Compression Devices to their CMS Approved Audit Issues log. The reviews are defined as complex reviews for claims with a paid date more than 3 years prior to the Additional Development Request (ADR) letter date. Performant indicates that pneumatic compression devices (HCPCS Codes E0651 and E0652) may have been provided to patients where all Medicare coverage criteria were not met. The review

The Let Her Decide team continues to push for additional cosponsors to the Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act every day. When we meet or talk with legislators, many of them ask about other organizations that support this legislation, which would show broad support among industry groups. Because of this ask, it is incredibly important that any size organizations, whether large or small, support the Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act. The more support and activity we can drive to this legislation,

Julia Louis-Dreyfus recently finished production on the final season of her show, Veep. Production was postponed when she was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer in September 2017. Louis-Dreyfus underwent six rounds of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy with reconstruction. Just over a year later, she announced she was in remission.  The experience has opened her eyes to the importance of affordable health care. “I think it’s an important conversation to have