Provided by Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center
For the seventh consecutive year, Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center (SNVMC) sponsored the George Mason University women’s basketball annual Pink Game that raises awareness of women’s cancers. A key element of a Pink Game is celebrating breast cancer survivors, thrivers, and warriors.
The GM Patriots women’s basketball team triumphed over George Washington University with a 67-52 victory at EagleBank Arena on Saturday, Feb. 21, bringing excitement and energy to the Pink Game. The victory of the Patriots on its home court emphasized the strength of breast cancer survivors who received care from the Sentara Cancer Network Resource Center.
Celebrating Survivors
The Sentara Cancer Network Resource Center welcomed breast cancer survivors for a pre-game reception with family, friends, health care providers, and Patriots supporters. These brave breast cancer survivors joined the athletes on the court for the national anthem. Then, later in the game they came out to center court, received pink roses, and were cheered on by the arena crowd.
Medical oncologist Dr. Geoffrey Moorer, the breast program physician lead at SNVMC, welcomed Sentara breast cancer survivors, their loved ones, fellow hospital staff, and special guests at the reception. In his remarks, Moorer reminded the attendees of the courage of women coping with cancer.
“We know that early detection saves lives. At Sentara, we work with you to make your health a priority with care that fits into your life, so you can continue showing up for the people and passions you love the most,” said Moorer.
A Survivor’s Reflection
As both a breast cancer survivor and a nurse practitioner at Sentara, Andrea Helmbach shared, “When you hear the words ‘you have cancer,’ everything changes in a single breath. But what carried me through was realizing that I was never truly alone. As a patient and now as a nurse practitioner at Sentara, I’ve seen firsthand the strength that comes from community – your care team, your family, your friends, and even people you may never meet who are cheering for you.”
Helmbach shared that her experience deepened her connection to the patients she now supports every day.
“There is hope at every stage of this journey. Cancer can feel overwhelming, but there is an entire network standing behind you. And that hope, that support, is what helps you keep moving forward.”
SNVMC Care
Jeff Joyner, SNVMC president, said, “We could not be prouder to be part of the national Play4Kay initiative to raise awareness of cancers affecting women and to honor brave cancer survivors at all points of their journeys.”
“Additionally, I want to recognize the multi-disciplinary team working at the Sentara Northern Virginia Comprehensive Breast Center and our Cancer Network Resource Center. Our approach brings together the right team of experts with the right technology to design a care plan that is personalized to each individual’s needs,” explained Joyner.
Sentara Cancer Network Resource Center
The Sentara Cancer Network Resource Center offers a variety of resources and support for those diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers, as well as those with questions about cancer and cancer risk.
Cancer demands a comprehensive approach, and the Sentara Cancer Network Resource Center is the place to fit the pieces together. The Sentara team knows that everyone’s disease is different, and even more varied are the tools each person uses through diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.
“Being surrounded by survivors, caregivers, and advocates reminds us that journey is shared. No one faces this alone,” noted Helmbach.
Sentara Cancer Support
Sentara clinician experts remind all people that a timely mammography screening is one of the best ways for detecting breast cancer early, and early detection saves lives.
For more information about the cancer services available at SNVMC, please visit the Sentara.com website or call 703-523-1599.
About Sentara Health • sentara.com/news
Sentara, an integrated, not-for-profit health care delivery system, celebrates 135 years in pursuit of its mission—”we improve health every day.” Sentara is one of the largest health systems in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, and among the top 20 largest not-for-profit integrated health systems in the country, with 30,000 employees, 12 hospitals in Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina, and the Sentara Health Plans division which serves more than 1 million members in Virginia and Florida. Sentara is recognized nationally for clinical quality and safety and is strategically focused on innovation and creating an extraordinary health care experience for our patients and members. Sentara was named to IBM Watson Health’s “Top 15 Health Systems” (2021, 2018), and was recognized by Forbes as a “Best Employer for New Grads” (2022), “Best Employer for Veterans” (2022, 2023), and “Best Employer for Women” (2020).
