MEET THE CHIEF Park Slope medical announces new chief surgeon of breast cancer oncology
BY ELISSA ESHER
NewYork-Presbyterian
Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
rang in Breast Cancer
Awareness Month by recruiting
Dr. Vivian Bea as
Section Chief of Breast Surgical
Oncology on September
16th. A Park Slope local
and true “super-mom,” Bea
also serves as Assistant Professor
of Surgery at Weill
Cornell Medicine, completed
her fellowship
at The University of
Texas MD Anderson
Cancer Center, published
best-selling
children’s book “Chocolate
Kid Chronicals:
Please Don’t Touch
My Magical Hair” in
2018, and has been recognized
as a top physician
in her field, all while mothering
two boys.
“It’s a great opportunity,”
COURIER L 40 IFE, OCT. 11-17, 2019
said Bea. “I’ve been blessed
with a job that doesn’t feel
like a job — caring for people
affected by breast diseases
and helping them
reach healing — the light at
the end of the tunnel.”
Disturbed by the comparatively
low survival rates of
African American women
with breast cancer, Bea said
she has dedicated her life
not only to fighting this
disease, but also to
fighting the “disparities
that come with
it.” At 35, Bea was selected
as one of the
40 Under 40 Leaders
in Minority
Health by the
National Minority
Quality Forum
in 2018 for her dedication
to community outreach and
breast cancer disparities
research. She says she will
strive toward the elimination
of breast cancer disparities
in King’s County during
her time in Brooklyn.
“Unfortunately, Brooklyn
statistically harbors the
greatest racial disparities in
the medical fi eld off all fi ve
boroughs, particularly in
breast cancer,” said Bea. “My
colleagues and I really want
to focus more on hospital
outreach, especially during
Breast Cancer Awareness
Month. The disparities we
see in Brooklyn really boil
down to awareness — you
won’t go get a mammogram
if you don’t know the benefi ts
of being proactive — so we
want to target communities
who haven’t been as educated
about breast cancer.”
Based in Park Slope, New
York-Presbyterian Brooklyn
Methodist Hospital has provided
healthcare services to
the people of Brooklyn since
1887. The hospital is recognized
as a Breast Diagnositc
Center of Excellence and provides
a myriad of services
for breast cancer patients,
including breast conservation
therapy, radiation therapy,
workshops, and support
groups. Bea said it was this
multi-disciplinary center
that drew her most when she
left her former position as
Breast Surgical Oncologist at
MD Anderson Cancer Center
at Cooper in Camden, NJ for
New York-Presbyterian.
“Most people who are diagnosed
with cancer have
to see experts in multiple
fields in many different locations,”
said Bea. “With
our multi-disciplinary
clinic, patients can see all
their specialists in one day.
The future of breast cancer
is exciting because we’re
never satisfied with where
we are right now. We’re always
looking for new methods
like this one to improve
patient satisfaction.”
Dr. Vivian Bea
NewYork-Presbyterian Public Affairs
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