Dr. Chen, MDM joins AdventHealth West Florida Foundation as Pink On Parade Partnering Sponsor

AdventHealth West Florida Foundation is excited to announce William Chen, MDM of Chen Dental, as Pink On Parades Partnering Sponsor. Dr. Chen and staff will join the Foundation Team in a large way, including both their time and generous donation of $3,000.00.

Everyone on the Chen Dental team is excited to participate in AdventHealth Foundations Pink On Parade event. Early detection is key and knowledge of resources and options available for those affected by it are vital, said Dr. Chen, my own family has been directly affected by Breast Cancer, making the awareness and education factor of it, become so meaningful. We are thrilled to be a part of this year's event as the partnering sponsor.

Pink On Parade will be held on October 14^th, 2018; registration and packet pick-up beginning at 3:00 pm at the AdventHealth Sebring Surgical Center at 4200 Sun N Lake Blvd., Sebring, FL 33872. This years event will not only include a 1-mile walk, but 5K run and farmers market-style set-up of local vendors, boutiques, and businesses to engage with the community and event participants, post-race.

The Foundation's purchase of this life-saving technology would not be made possible without the continuous generosity of our local community. Our community saw the great need for this technology and the automated whole breast ultrasound machine will assist AdventHealth in continuing to meet the healthcare needs of our community for every person every time, stated FHHMC Foundation Director, Christen Johnson, We are in this together, and when the community can see that their financial contributions help save lives directly, that gift makes a meaningful difference in the lives of our patients.

This year's event is an extension of the Foundations Pink On Parade, last fall, in an effort to purchase an automated whole breast ultrasound machine; this machine will detect potentially cancerous masses that have been missed in a regular mammogram, therefore increasing early detection rates. Not only will the funds raised go towards purchasing this $200,00 piece of equipment but assist in purchasing needed mammograms for the men and women of Highlands and Hardee counties who cannot afford one themselves.

Approximately 40% of women in Highlands County have dense breast tissue on their mammogram. Standard screening mammograms are less reliable at finding cancer in dense breasts because cancer can get overshadowed. Breast ultrasound used with mammography can find breast cancers that cannot be felt on physical examination or seen with mammography, said Dr. Mary Gardner, AdventHealth Breast Care Center board-certified radiologist.

Last years Pink On Parade hosted more than 150 men and women from the community, who wore their pinkest attire to walk and rally against breast cancer, with the results of providing 39 members of the community with needed mammograms and raising more than $11,000.

I have already registered, said FHHMC CFO, Rosalie Oliver, I am excited that this year's event is implementing a 5K and to see the support our community has for this hospital and for a cause that so many of us can relate to.

For more information or on how to donate, please contact the AdventHealth West Florida Foundation office at Call863-402-5525.