BREAST CANCER AWARENESS
Interview with Dr. Talya Schwartz,
President & Chief Executive Officer MetroPlusHealth
Dr. Talya Schwartz was appointed President & CEO of MetroPlusHealth in 2019. During her tenure, MetroPlusHealth has achieved a
20% growth in membership, earned a five-star rating from New York State’s Consumer Guide, and been ranked the #1 health plan in
New York State for quality. MetroPlusHealth is part of NYC Health + Hospitals public health system.
Q: What drives you to lead
MetroPlusHealth’s efforts to
battle breast cancer?
A: First, as President and
CEO of MetroPlusHealth and
as a physician, I am committed
to addressing the social determinants
of health among New
York’s most vulnerable communities.
Our aim is to actively
ensure that MetroPlusHealth
remains at the forefront of supporting
its members through holistic,
hands-on supportive care.
This means preventive care for
all New Yorkers. There’s no such
thing as not being able to afford
a mammogram when you live
in New York City. We will work
with members and make certain
that they can and will receive
critical screenings.
What drives me every day is
quite simply the health and wellbeing
of our members. There’s
nothing more important to us.
Our staff goes the extra mile every
day. We routinely send educational
materials and reminders,
by mail and text messaging, to
women who are due for a mammogram.
Information on the
importance of early detection is
also posted on our member portal.
We work hard to educate our
members about the importance
of screening and early detection.
Similarly, clinical gaps-in-care
reports are sent to our providers
so that they can follow up with
members who are due for mammograms
during routine visits.
We even offer incentives to
members who complete their
breast cancer screening through
the MetroPlus Member Rewards
Program (metroplusrewards.
org).
Q: How has the
pandemic affected what you
do for your members?
A: No question that we saw
unprecedented challenges
within the entire health care
community, yet, according to
the New York State Department
of Health’s 2020 Quality Incentive
Dr. Talya Schwartz, President & Chief Executive Officer
MetroPlusHealth
results, MetroPlusHealth
was ranked number one among
all 15 New York State Medicaid
plans in overall quality. While
we have always scored high in
quality, achieving the #1 spot
during a global pandemic speaks
volumes about the dedicated
people at our company who rose
to the occasion.
Some key factors that contributed
to the top ranking, where
MetroPlusHealth scored above
90% of State benchmarks, were
care related to diabetes, hypertension,
substance abuse disorders,
and mental illness. Our
streamlined process of working
with NYC Health + Hospitals and
its community providers also
helped. Sharing data, education,
and member support, were important
factors, as was working
to bring members in for care, especially
those with the highest
and most immediate needs.
We could not be prouder of
our team and our provider partners
or more thankful to our
members for entrusting their
health coverage with us.
Q: Which groups should be the
most concerned about breast
cancer?
A: Starting at age 50, women
need a mammogram every one
to two years to screen for breast
cancer and some women may
PHOTO PROVIDED
choose to start routine mammograms
even prior to age 50.
But breast cancer can occur in
younger women, and women
should perform self breast exams
and not delay evaluation if
they have any concerns regardless
of age. When you see your
doctor, you should discuss your
risk factors and make sure you’re
doing everything you can to
keep your breasts healthy. If you
have close relatives with breast
cancer, you may be at higher
risk. If you are at a higher risk,
your doctor may suggest earlier
screening or more regular or intensive
screening
Q: What are the most common
(and not so common) risk factors
for breast cancer?
A: According to the CDC,
there are risk factors you can
change and those you cannot:
These are risks you cannot
change:
• Getting older. The risk for
breast cancer increases with
age; most breast cancers are
diagnosed after age 50.
• Genetic mutations. Inherited
changes (mutations) to certain
genes, such as BRCA1 and
BRCA2. Women who have inherited
these genetic changes
are at higher risk for breast
and ovarian cancer.
• Reproductive history. Early
menstrual periods before age
12 and starting menopause
after age 55 expose women to
hormones longer, raising their
risk of getting breast cancer.
• Having dense breasts. Dense
breasts have more connective
tissue than fatty tissue, which
can sometimes make it hard
to see tumors on a mammogram.
• Personal history of breast
cancer or certain non-cancerous
breast diseases. Women
who have had breast cancer
are more likely to get breast
cancer a second time. Some
non-cancerous breast diseases,
such as atypical hyperplasia
or lobular carcinoma
in situ are associated with a
higher risk of getting breast
cancer.
• Family history of breast or
ovarian cancer. A woman’s
risk for breast cancer is higher
if she has a mother, sister, or
daughter (first-degree relative)
or multiple family members
who have had breast or
ovarian cancer. Having a close
male relative with breast cancer
also raises a woman’s risk.
• Previous treatment using radiation
therapy. Women who
had radiation therapy to the
chest or breasts (for instance,
treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma)
before age 30 have a
higher risk of getting breast
cancer later in life.
• Women who took the drug
diethylstilbestrol (DES),
which was given to some pregnant
women in the United
States between 1940 and 1971
to prevent miscarriage, have
a higher risk. Women whose
mothers took DES while pregnant
with them are also at
risk.
However, luckily, there are
risk factors you can change.
These include getting more exercise,
losing weight, quitting
smoking, and drinking less alcohol.
Q: How far has the medical
community come in treating
breast cancer?
A: Researchers are finding
new and better ways to diagnose
and treat breast cancer every
day. Whether it’s nanotechnology
or improved tests, there
are amazing breakthroughs every
year. Improved imaging, targeted
therapy, liquid biopsies,
and even artificial intelligence to
help better read mammograms
are areas where advancements
are underway. There are new
drugs and therapies in test stages
all the time. Objectives here are
to develop less-toxic treatments
with fewer side effects that are
also more effective. Patients can
ask their doctors about clinical
trials that may be available for
several of these new drugs.
Q: What are some ways that
people can actively prevent
breast cancer or, God forbid,
catch it early?
A: The best ways to protect
yourself is to stop smoking, limit
your alcohol consumption, try to
be physically active, and watch
your weight. Of course, the most
critical action you can take is to
do regular self breast exams and
also to make an appointment
with your local provider for a
mammogram when you get
older. I would urge women not to
delay important screenings like
this because of the ongoing COVID
19 pandemic. Our partners
at NYC Health + Hospitals have
adjusted their waiting areas, registration
desks, and exam rooms
to keep you safe when you come
to see a doctor. You should also
be aware of early warning signs.
A new lump in the breast or underarm,
thickening or swelling
of part of the breast can be warning
signs. Dimpling of breast
skin, redness or flaky skin in the
nipple area or the breast, a nipple
that turns in or becomes sunken
can be other signs. If you experience
any of these, you should see
you doctor as soon as possible.
Schneps Media October 14, 2021 3