U-M Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital to Host Cervical Cancer Benefit Sept. 28

Journalist Joan Lunden to moderate discussion about cervical cancer screening and global women's health policies

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In honor of national Women's Health and Fitness Day, U-M Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital, which moves into a state-of-the-art facility in November, will host a breakfast and panel discussion at 8:30 a.m., Wed., Sept. 28, 2011 at the North Campus Research Complex, 2800 Plymouth Rd., Ann Arbor.

Moderated by journalist, author and television host Joan Lunden, the panel will discuss the importance of cervical cancer prevention and screening, as well as domestic and international women's health issues and policies.

Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the U-M Health System cervical cancer screening program.

Each day in the United States, 30 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer (about 11,000 women per year) and 11 women die from it. For women in developing countries, access to life-saving cervical cancer screening programs is limited. Mortality rates are even more alarming outside of the U.S.

"Cervical cancer is almost totally preventable, but prevention and screening are not adequately in place, says Timothy Johnson, M.D., Chair of the U-M Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.  "We know that screening with pap smears and HPV virus detection is effective, but too many women who need this screening are not able to access it.  Our key focus, then, needs to optimize education and access."

All panel members are involved in global efforts to improve women's health in the developing world, advocating for improvements in women's healthcare.  The panel forms a diverse group with individuals representing various fields, including health care research and policy, fashion design, and reproductive medicine.

Moderators:

• Joan Lunden – journalist, author and television host.
• Laura Schwartz – national television commentator, former Special Assistant to the President and White House Director of Events for the Clinton Administration.

Panel Participants:

• Dee E. Fenner, M.D. – Harold A. Furlong Professor and Vice Chair, U-M Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
• Liz Lange – Cervical cancer survivor and Founder and Creative Director of Liz Lange Maternity and Completely Me by Liz Lange and Co-Founder of Shopafrolic.com
• Senait Fisseha, M.D., J.D. – Assistant Professor, U-M Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chief, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and Medical Director, Center for Reproductive Medicine.
• Vivian W. Pinn, M.D. – Founding Director, Office of Research on Women's Health, National Institutes of Health

General admission tickets to the event are $75. Table sponsorships, which include a meet and greet with panelists and a private tour of the new C.S. Mott Children's and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospitals, are $1,000.

The Women's Power Breakfast is sponsored by the Von Voigtlander Foundation with generous support from Charter One Bank, Victoria and Robert Buckler, Johnson Controls, IHA and Art Van Furniture.

Women's Power Breakfast
Time: 8:30 a.m., Wed., Sept. 28, 2011
Location: U-M North Campus Research Complex, 2800 Plymouth Rd., Ann Arbor.
Ticket cost: $75 per individual, $1,000 per table.
Information: 734-998-6069 or www.givetomott.org/events.

For more information about the Gynecologic Oncology Program at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center, which provides diagnosis and treatment to those with cervical cancer, visit:
http://www.uofmhealth.org/medical-services/gynecologic+cancer.

The University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital is consistently ranked as one of the best hospitals in the country. It was nationally ranked in all ten pediatric specialties in the U.S. News Media Group's 2011 edition of "America's Best Children's Hospitals" including third in the country for heart and heart surgery. In November, the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital  move to a new 1.1 million square feet, $754 million state-of-the-art facility that will be home to cutting-edge specialty services for newborns, children and women.

SOURCE University of Michigan Health System