Let's Talk About Your Breasts

Dorothy Gibbons, CEO & Cofounder
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  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Rose Breast Center of Excellence presents Let's Talk About Your Breasts with Dorothy Gibbons. Each week, Dorothy hosts candid conversations with an array of people in the breast cancer community. From doctors and employees to donors and individuals who influence policy, you'll learn all there is to know about the disease which impacts so many women in our community.

  1. 11 HR AGO

    CPRIT, The Texas Cancer Plan, and You

    How does one man's dedication to community health reshape cancer prevention efforts in Texas? Carlton Allen's passion for public health and population health, sparked during his academic years, led him to an influential role in the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). Through his guidance, CPRIT addresses significant cancer burdens and health disparities statewide. Meanwhile, Allen champions the Texas Cancer Plan as a comprehensive roadmap for continued progress in cancer prevention and care. Key Questions Answered 1. How did Carlton Allen get into public health? 2. What differentiates public health from direct patient care according to Carlton? 3. Where did Carlton Allen complete his education? 4. How did Carlton Allen integrate community health workers (CHWs) into clinical operations? 5. What are the challenges in obtaining funding for community health workers? 6. What is the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and what roles does it play? 7. How does CPRIT impact cancer prevention and research in Texas? 8. What frustrations does Carlton Allen face in his role at CPRIT? 9. What was Carlton Allen’s role in the Texas Cancer Plan? 10. What values does Carlton hope to instill in his children based on his community work? Timestamped Overview 00:00 Community Health Workers' Impact 03:42 Healthcare Worker Reimbursement Challenge 07:46 Expanding Healthcare Outreach with Grants 10:07 Visiting Texas Prevention Grantees 13:27 Advancements in Cancer Prevention 16:51 Cancer Secrecy in Males 21:14 Inclusive Cancer Care Guidelines 25:57 Community Engagement and Volunteerism 27:56 Raising Hardworking, Community-Minded Children Learn more about CPRIT here. Support The Rose HERE. Subscribe to Let’s Talk About Your Breasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    32 min

  2. 1 DAY AGO

    De Colombia a Houston: La Historia Personal que Impulsó la Carrera de la Radióloga Cotes

    En este episodio, la Dra. Cotes, profesora asistente y jefa de la división de imágenes mamarias en UT Health en Houston, comparte su inspiradora historia, desde su Colombia natal hasta convertirse en una destacada radióloga mamaria en los EE.UU., su misión de servir a la comunidad hispana y su transición de The Rose a UT Health. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    23 min

  3. 2 DAYS AGO

    She Lost Her Job, Then Found a Lump In Her Breast

    Diagnosed with DCIS while underinsured and between jobs, Ayanna Wilcher found compassionate biopsy care at The Rose and chose her own path through mastectomy and multiple opinions. Now, she leads survivor work and Rising in Grace, delivering post mastectomy comfort kits and community. Support The Rose HERE. Subscribe to Let’s Talk About Your Breasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and wherever you get your podcasts. Key Questions Answered 1. How Ayanna’s life and work shifted in the year leading up to her diagnosis, including job loss and a move back into higher education. 2. How she first felt a lump, what her recent mammogram history was, and which steps her doctor friend urged her to take. 3. What it was like to be underinsured when a biopsy was recommended and how she was referred to The Rose for care. 4. How Ayanna experienced her biopsy at The Rose, including the provider’s communication, pain control, and overall respect. 5. What happened the day she received her cancer diagnosis while traveling, and how she coped emotionally during her conference responsibilities. 6. Why she and her team named the cancer “Beulah” and how humor and mindset helped her face decisions about surgery. 7. How insurance battles over imaging, multiple oncology opinions, and differing chemo recommendations led her to choose a non chemo maintenance path with Texas Oncology. 8. How her husband’s decision to take a lower paying out of state job for health insurance, and her children’s responses, shaped the family’s experience of her cancer. 9. What specific challenges women face after mastectomy, from drains and lack of rest to the cost of pillows, bras, and other comfort items. 10. How Rising in Grace and Ayanna’s work with Angels Surviving Cancer and patient navigation training aim to make post mastectomy life less isolating and more supported. Timestamped Overview 00:00 Introduction, background, and 2026 as a rebuild year02:00 Clean mammogram, new lump, and fast follow up03:30 Job loss, underinsurance, and biopsy denial03:45 Referral to The Rose and compassionate biopsy experience05:00 DCIS diagnosis on a flight and initial shock06:30 Humor, naming “Beulah,” and building a care plan07:50 Meeting oncology team and facing mastectomy decision09:30 Moomoo mastectomy party and surgery day12:30 Pathology results, nine invasive sites, and chemo debate13:40 Second and third opinions, choosing no chemo, “bet on yourself”15:15 Impact on husband, children, and mother; caregiver burden20:00 Angels Surviving Cancer, patient navigator training, leadership21:30 Launching Rising in Grace and creating post mastectomy kits23:30 Realities of drains, rest, and the cost of comfort items26:00 Body image, bras, and emotional recovery after mastectomy29:00 Final message: act early, seek support, and remember it is not the end See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min

  4. 9 APR

    Keeping Access and Compassion First in Every Board Decision

    Board Chair Shannon Wiesedeppe carries a deep family history of breast cancer into every decision she helps make at The Rose. From hurricanes and COVID to a Co-Founder and CEO transition, she keeps The Rose focused on access, reimbursement realities, mobile coaches, and identical care for uninsured and insured women. Support The Rose HERE. Subscribe to Let’s Talk About Your Breasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and wherever you get your podcasts. Key Questions Answered 1. How Shannon was recruited to The Rose board through Junior League connections and early exposure to the mission. 2. What roles she has held within the Junior League and how that prepared her for board leadership. 3. How her family’s multi generational breast cancer history shapes her personal vigilance and advocacy. 4. What major events The Rose has weathered during her board tenure, including hurricanes, COVID, and large anonymous gifts. 5. How the board and staff worked together creatively to keep services going when many nonprofits closed. 6. Why the board chair role is central to managing CEO transitions and aligning leadership with the strategic plan. 7.  How collaboration and partnerships can extend The Rose’s services and why those relationships take patience and persistence. 8. What Shannon learned about insurance, government funding, and reimbursement and how these dynamics affect breast imaging access. 9. Why awareness and education remain urgent even after forty years, especially for women reaching screening age for the first time. 10. What single message she wants women to hear about The Rose’s role as a partner in making mammograms and next steps less stressful. Timestamped Overview00:00 Board service, crises, and change01:20 Joining The Rose board through Junior League connections03:00 Family breast cancer history and personal vigilance04:30 Surviving hurricanes, COVID, and funding shocks06:00 Staff grit, creative problem solving, and board support09:00 CEO oversight and navigating a founder transition11:00 Strategic plan, partnerships, and collaborations21:00 Learning reimbursement, funding, and insurance realities24:00 Awareness, myths, and reaching each new generation27:00 Why The Rose matters, access, and mobile mammography29:00 Core message: The Rose as a partner through stressful care See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    33 min

  5. 7 APR

    Meet the Interim CEO Guiding The Rose Through Change

    Interim CEO Katherine Parsley brings decades of courtroom, nonprofit, and judicial experience to The Rose. As a longtime patient and daughter of a survivor, she centers early mammograms, steady leadership, and practical encouragement for a largely women led team in transition. Support The Rose HERE. Subscribe to Let’s Talk About Your Breasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and wherever you get your podcasts. Key Questions Answered 1. How did a legal and nonprofit career lead to serving as interim CEO at The Rose? 2. What lessons come from moving from the courtroom to Crime Stoppers and other mission-driven organizations? 3. How does being both a Rose patient and the daughter of a breast cancer survivor shape one’s perspective on early detection? 4. What are the primary responsibilities of an interim CEO in a healthcare nonprofit? 5. How can an interim leader best support the team during the search for permanent leadership? 6. Why does women’s tendency to put themselves last make breast health messaging especially important? 7. How can prioritizing relationships, travel, and downtime with family contribute to personal wellbeing? 8. What does it take to lead a workplace of more than 100 employees, most of whom are women? 9. How do deep Houston roots and an extended family network influence a commitment to local service? 10. How can a career of service leave a lasting impact, and what legacy can leaders aim to build in each role? Timestamped Overview 02:00 Legal and nonprofit background, prosecutor to judge to CEO04:00 Personal breast cancer connection and being a Rose patient08:00 Family life, Houston roots, and love of community10:00 Women’s self neglect, modeling consistent healthcare, self care14:00 Leading as an interim, stabilizing the team and mission17:00 Open door leadership style and message to staff19:00 Legacy, impact, and making a difference through each role See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    28 min

  6. 2 APR

    How One Woman’s Breast Cancer Battle Led to the Self-Care Movement

    As the Executive Director of The Jung Center, Dr. Fitzpatrick's not only given the Rose community hope in the darkest of times, such as during the pandemic, but he’s also done so for countless others in the Houston area. During this conversation, Dorothy and Dr. Fitzpatrick talk about past challenges and how they’ve impacted the breast cancer community. He also discusses the need for caregivers to embrace self-care and encourages breast cancer patients to engage in self-acceptance. Additionally, we get a brief history lesson when Dr. Fitzpatrick discusses Audre Lorde, who was faced with the difficult decision of either living out what life she had left serving her values, helping women’s groups that were forming in the 1970s and the 1980s, or if she was going to take the step back to seek treatment for breast cancer. Learn more about Dr. Fitzpatrick's work and The Jung Center at www.junghouston.com. Support The Rose HERE. Subscribe to Let’s Talk About Your Breasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and wherever you get your podcasts. Key Questions Answered 1. Why is must we nurture our well-being, especially in the face of adversity? as the isolation brought on by the pandemic. 2. How is breast cancer tied to the origin of self-care? 3. What can we do to foster better support networks in our community? 4. What are Dr. Fitzpatrick’s tips for managing self-care? Timestamped Overview 00:00 Self-care in pandemic: simplified approach for all. 03:51 Infants have instinct to notice surroundings instinctively. 07:47 Paying attention to body signals for calm. 12:55 Well being defined as happiness and contentment. 15:04 Well-being through relationships, including self and community. 18:38 Commute time transformed during pandemic, newfound appreciation. 23:46 Audrey Lord, influential writer, faced cancer decision. 24:48 Self-care as political act for black woman. 28:11 Recognize interdependence, create spaces for connection. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    33 min

  7. 31 MAR

    Saying Goodbye: Dorothy’s Farewell After 40 Years at The Rose

    Forty years at The Rose taught our co-founder and CEO Dorothy Gibbons this: you don’t walk away from women, even when the system does. In this farewell episode, Dorothy share the stories that shaped her, why she's stepping back, and why your support and your stories still matter.  Support The Rose HERE. Subscribe to Let’s Talk About Your Breasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and wherever you get your podcasts. Key Questions Answered 1. How were Dorothy and Dr. Dixie received as two women creating a new breast health nonprofit in the mid‑1980s? 2. What kind of resistance did Dorothy encounter from male‑dominated leadership when she pushed for mammograms and a place for uninsured women? 3. Who were early patients and volunteers like Annabelle and Diana, and how did they shape The Rose’s culture? 4. Why does Dorothy believe patient stories—and hearing “someone else has been there”—still matter just as much as technology? 5. What does it mean for The Rose to be a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, and why was that accreditation such a milestone? 6. Which values at The Rose are non‑negotiable for Dorothy, especially around how women and working mothers are treated? 7. What has truly improved in breast cancer imaging, awareness, and treatment in 40 years—and what has barely changed for uninsured and low‑income women? 8. How did gifts ranging from one dollar at a gas station to a surprise million‑dollar donation keep The Rose going? 9. After four decades, how does Dorothy keep her passion for women’s health, and what unfinished business does she believe belongs to the next generation? 10. What advice does she give anyone starting a nonprofit today—and why does she insist real change requires policy change, not just good programs? Timestamped Overview 1:00 Dorothy reflects on starting The Rose and how little the world understood mammograms and uninsured women in the mid‑1980s. 02:00 Stories of early skepticism, male‑dominated rooms, and how Dr. Dixie’s trailblazing surgical career gave them cover to push forward. 05:30 Remembering first patients and volunteers like Annabelle and Diana, their opposite personalities, and how they taught Dorothy there’s no one “right” way to live with cancer. 08:30 Why sharing patient stories on the podcast still matters: faith, courage, and the power of hearing your own experience in someone else’s words. 10:20 What becoming a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence required from staff, physicians, and equipment—and why that recognition mattered. 12:40 Dorothy’s non‑negotiables: valuing women, backing employees as whole people, and the day a tone‑deaf salesman lost a contract with one sexist comment. 15:40 What has improved in imaging, awareness, and treatment over 40 years—and what remains broken for uninsured and low‑income women. 18:00 The emotional toll of fundraising shortfalls, policy stagnation, and why closing the doors never felt like an option. 19:30 How advocacy and policy wins like Texas’s Cancer Prevention and Research Institute funding changed the landscape for prevention and research. 21:30 The unforgettable million‑dollar donor in overalls and the equally powerful one‑dollar gift at a gas station in El Paso. 24:00 Sponsored patients who gave back, like the woman who saved for years to fund another biopsy, and how those gifts shaped Dorothy’s view of generosity. 25:30 Keeping passion after four decades, why 40 years went by in a blink, and the stories that still fuel Dorothy’s work. 26:30 Letting The Rose “grow up,” what kind of energy Dorothy hopes to leave behind, and why she believes in the quiet power of “you can do it.” 28:00 Life after pink: how Dorothy imagines her next chapter and her advice for anyone bold enough to launch a nonprofit today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    30 min

  8. 26 MAR

    Meet One of The Rose’s Youngest Diagnosed Patients

    How does a simple flyer lead a high school student to a life-saving discovery? Monserrat Duron’s decision to perform a self-exam after attending a college fair changed the trajectory of her life. Upon finding a lump, she faced unimaginable challenges due to a lack of insurance. Yet, with the support of The Rose and the steadfast care of Dr. Bonefas, she navigated a grueling journey towards recovery and advocacy.  More than a decade after her diagnosis at just 18 years old, Montserrat shares her experience. Support The Rose HERE. Subscribe to Let’s Talk About Your Breasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and wherever you get your podcasts. Key Questions Answered 1. How did Monserrat initially discover she had a lump in her breast? 2. What challenges did Monserrat face in accessing healthcare after discovering the lump? 3. What was the result of Monserrat's initial examination at The Rose? 4. What significant surgery did Monserrat undergo due to persistent tumors? 5. How did Monserrat's professional life evolve after her recovery? Timestamped Overview 00:00 We're raising money for uninsured women's diagnostics. 05:19 Early self-exams crucial for detecting breast changes. 08:38 Rose advocates lowering mammogram age guideline to 35. 10:13 Grandma's comment made her avoid seeing herself. 15:14 Relentlessly pursued success in education and life. 17:19 Fearful moments worrying about son's future. 22:10 First in family to attend college. 26:46 Got referral and directions to Harris hilt 30:27 Apologized, recommended plan, discussed surgery, future considerations. 31:09 Reconstruction planned with plastic surgeons, lengthy process. 35:32 Cancerous issue, mostly in younger women. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    40 min
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About

The Rose Breast Center of Excellence presents Let's Talk About Your Breasts with Dorothy Gibbons. Each week, Dorothy hosts candid conversations with an array of people in the breast cancer community. From doctors and employees to donors and individuals who influence policy, you'll learn all there is to know about the disease which impacts so many women in our community.

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