Northwest Indiana Breast Care Center at Methodist Hospitals’ Jen Sanders was honored with the Corporate Leadership Award at Laini Fluellen Charities’ 13th annual Pink Tie Affair Gala. Sanders, manager of the Breast Care Center, was recognized thanks to her continued efforts in connecting people in the Region with breast care resources and the impact she has made on the breast cancer community.
“I was nominated for doing community outreach in regards to breast cancer,” Sanders said. “I was really excited and very honored to be nominated.”
Sanders has been involved in the Breast Care Center for the past two decades and has been instrumental in shining a spotlight on the breast care and cancer resources available in the community. This includes outreach programs that let community members receive free health screenings and charity events raising money and awareness for available programs.
Sanders is also a driving force behind the Breast Care Center receiving the Bears Care grant every year since 2013. The grant allows men and women experiencing a financial barrier to care to receive free, comprehensive screenings.
“We do this for the women who are diagnosed with breast cancer, for their families, and for the next generation of women in their lives. We are not leaving any women behind,” Sanders said. “We want to make sure that women are being diagnosed at the earliest stages, taking advantage of the screening technology that's here in Northwest Indiana, having their mammograms done yearly, having their breast exams done on a monthly basis by themselves, and going to see their doctor once a year to have a breast exam.”
Sanders’ efforts wouldn’t be as successful as they’ve been without her family. Their constant belief and encouragement of Sanders has helped her maintain her momentum through everything.
“I am a warrior for women’s health, and I am not this person without my family and their unwavering support,” she said. “I always want to thank them for that.”
Sanders also wants to highlight the commitment of the staff working alongside her at the Breast Care Center every day to serve the Northwest Indiana community. It’s their commitment that creates a safe and welcoming environment for women in the Region.
“The patients that we serve are not always our mothers, our sisters, or our daughters, but they are someone else's,” Sanders said. “We want the community to know that we will treat your family just like they’re ours. That's the commitment that we have to the women in Northwest Indiana when it comes to the Breast Care Center and being screened at Methodist Hospitals.”
Finally, Sanders acknowledges the work Laini Fluellen Charities is doing in Northwest Indiana and nationwide and is honored to be recognized by such an impactful organization.
“They’re a phenomenal group of women committed to triple-negative breast cancer initiatives. They provide so much great health information through things like the Know Your Lemons campaign and their flyers, which we keep at the Breast Care Center,” Sanders said. “The award was definitely unexpected, but I am very, very honored to have been nominated.”
In addition to bringing more attention to the Breast Care Center through Sanders’ nomination, Laini Fluellen Charities will also be partnering with the Breast Care Center to provide patient care kits to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. These kits will help patients begin their breast cancer recovery journey by providing an array of helpful resources.
As Sanders looks towards 2025, she’s excited about what this new initiative can provide to women throughout Northwest Indiana. She’s also excited about what she and her team will accomplish moving forward. Nothing would be possible without everyone at the Breast Care Center working towards a common goal.
“When I received my award, I asked the mammography team with me to stand up and take a bow,” Sanders said. “It's not a one-man show; it’s a group effort. Our team members – like Doctor Anastasia Siatras – are phenomenal and very committed to what we’re doing in the Breast Care Center.”
Sanders and the Breast Care Center encourage every woman to get their annual mammograms scheduled, as early detection of breast cancer is key to survival. To schedule your appointment with the Breast Care Center, call 219-981-5440.
To learn more about the services offered at the Northwest Indiana Breast Care Center at Methodist Hospitals, visit the center’s website.
