His mission: Breast cancer treatment for black women
by Paige Wiser, Chicago Sun Times
In 2006, the Sinai Urban Health Institute studied the breast cancer mortality rates between African-American and white women in Chicago, and found that the mortality rate for African-American women in Chicago is 68 percent higher than that of white women.
Dr. David Ansell, vice president and chief medical officer for Rush University Medical Center, learned that not only is there a disparity, but it’s the largest reported in the United States. “This is unacceptable,” Ansell says.
He can’t prevent breast cancer, but it’s been his life mission to give African-American women a fighting chance. “Early detection and proper treatment can save lives,” he says. At Rush, he has worked to expand primary care services to the underserved West Side of Chicago. He also devotes his energy to getting black women quality mammograms and access to quality treatment if diagnosed.
“I would like to see universal health care coverage for all Chicagoans and an end to the disgrace of health disparity,” Ansell says.
