Northwell Health and the Americana Manhasset raised more than $750,000 for women’s health at the 27th annual Katz Institute for Women’s Health Luncheon and Fashion Event presented by the Partners Council for Women’s Health.
The event—attended by more than 500 supporters, patients and clinicians and held at Old Westbury Gardens—was hosted by Rosanna Scotto, co-anchor of Fox 5’s Good Day New York, and supported critical women’s health programming at the Katz Institute for Women’s Health and the Center for Cancer, Pregnancy and Reproduction. To date, the Katz Institute Luncheon and Fashion Event has raised nearly $11 million in support of women’s health.
Charlotte and Roger Blumencranz were honored for their nearly five decades of support to Northwell Health and have been lifelong champions of women’s health initiatives. They’ve served as trustees and board members, helped found the Partners Council for Women’s Health and spearheaded countless fundraising initiatives and galas.
“Charlotte and Roger have been tremendous partners and have created a legacy of giving that spreads to those around them, including their children,” said Brian Lally, senior vice president and chief development officer at Northwell Health. “Their deep-rooted support has improved the lives of millions of Northwell patients.”
Northwell patient Gina Neri told her emotional story of learning she was pregnant and then weeks later finding out she had colon cancer. Gina shared how she went to many doctors, all who said she needed to terminate her pregnancy, until she found her surgeon, Jerald Wishner, MD, co-director of the Institute for Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery and director of the Minimally Invasive and Colorectal Surgery Program at Northwell’s Northern Westchester Hospital. Wishner performed robotic surgery and as Gina put it, “He saved not one life, but two.” Months later, Gina gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Gianna Hope.
“One in 1,000 women will get a cancer diagnosis during pregnancy and don’t know where to turn,” said Richard Barakat, MD, physician-in-chief and director of the Northwell Health Cancer Institute. “Northwell has created the Center for Cancer, Pregnancy and Reproduction to help women like Gina.”
Northwell’s Senior Vice President for Women’s Health, Stacey Rosen, MD, spoke about how the Katz Institute is addressing the disparities women experience in health care and is working to advance care for all women.
“Many conditions present differently in women than in men and affect women disproportionately,” said Rosen. “At the Katz Institute we are disrupting the way women receive their medical care and are creating a better, smarter approach to women’s health.”
The Katz Institute was created in 2008 thanks to the vision and generosity of Iris and Saul Katz and is an expanded approach to women’s health that focuses on advancing sex- and gender-based research to shape better care for all women everywhere, and also connects women to the vast resources within Northwell Health.
You can advocate for women’s health by joining the Katz Women’s Circle, a membership group of women who share an interest in learning about health and wellness topics that affect them and the women they care about. Visit the Northwell Health Foundation website for additional information.
