Visit highlighted the importance of cancer screening, research and survivorship programs.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, first lady Jill Biden, Ed.D., traveled to Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Plantation, Fla., on Oct. 15, 2022, to support the fight against breast cancer. The first lady’s visit is part of the Biden administration’s renewal of the Cancer Moonshot initiative. In 2016, then-Vice President Joe Biden launched the Cancer Moonshot to speed progress in cancer research.

““We survive with the love of our families, the dedication of our doctors and nurses, and the support of communities, like this one, that are coming together to fight this disease,” Dr. Biden said. U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a breast cancer survivor, and Monica Bertagnolli, M.D., the newly sworn-in National Cancer Institute (NCI) director, accompanied Dr. Biden.

South Florida’s diverse community — 43% Hispanic and 24% Black – make it critical to tailor research and care.

“We are able to provide novel therapies for our cancer patients, and the research teams we assemble are conducting research to better understand specific risk factors for Hispanics and Black communities, and others where health inequities may exist. Sylvester is now positioned to accelerate scientific discovery across the United States,” said Stephen D. Nimer, M.D., director of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of UHealth – University of Miami Health System, and executive dean of research at the Miller School of Medicine.

During a tour of the facility, the first lady learned how Sylvester is leading the NCI’s first Hispanic Cancer Survivorship Cohort Study and that the Sylvester My Wellness Check portal, an online program that provides patients with a personalized health care experience, has reduced emergency room visits and hospitalizations. She also learned of the support provided through the Nurse Navigator program in clinical care.