Page 20 - Layout 1
P. 20
INSPIRATIONAL
MEDICINE
Spreading
to fill the gap in breast cancer treatment
By Mike W Thomas
Since 1999, a small San Antonio-based non-profit has been work serving 46 counties.” In addition to its San Antonio base,
working to help uninsured women across South and Central Texas WINGS has operations in Austin and Laredo.
to have a fighting chance when dealing with breast cancer.
WINGS was founded 17 years ago in San Antonio by a breast
WINGS, which stands for Women Involved in Nurturing, Giv- cancer patient and her surgeon, Dr. Kathryn Safford. Its purpose
ing, Sharing, has provided more than $12 million in healthcare is to help women who have no insurance to cover the cost of fight-
services to more than 900 women with breast cancer over the ing the disease. WINGS covers the cost of surgical procedures,
years. The organization works with a network of physicians and chemotherapy, radiation, labs and physician visits for all of its pa-
treatment centers to provide life-saving care against this deadly tients.
disease.
To accomplish this, WINGS reached out to physicians and care
In 2016, the American Cancer Society estimated there will be givers from every part of the cancer industry to help work out a
more than 246,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer and more system that could be affordable and effective. One of the first doc-
than 40,000 breast cancer deaths. tors to come on board with the new program was Amy Lang,
M.D., FACP, a medical oncologist in practice at the START Cen-
Kim Hinze, executive director of WINGS, said they currently ter for Cancer Care in San Antonio.
have almost 900 women in the program with 56 in active treat-
ment and the remainder in survivorship. Lang donates her time and skills to help hundreds of patients
in San Antonio who would otherwise go without care. WINGS
“All 900 women are eligible for WINGS services because once also works with hospitals and treatment centers that donate time,
you are in the program you are in it for life,” Hinze said. “We rooms, nurses and equipment.
have approximately 250 providers that we work with in the net-
continued on page 22
20 San Antonio Medicine • November 2016
