38 THE QUEENS COURIER • BREAST CANCER • OCTOBER 14, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
An interview with Dr. Talya Schwartz, president
and chief executive officer of MetroPlusHealth
BY QNS NEWS TEAM
EDITORIALQNS.COM
QNS
Dr. Talya Schwartz was appointed
president and CEO of MetroPlusHealth in
2019. During her tenure, MetroPlusHealth
has achieved a 20% growth in membership,
earned a fi ve-star rating from New York
State’s Consumer Guide, and been ranked
the No. 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 Metro-
PlusHealth’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 well-being 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 gapsin
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 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 No. 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 Metro-
PlusHealth 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 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 pical hyperplasia
hyperplasia
or lobular carcinoma ma in situ are
are
associated with a higher gher 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 (firstdegree
.b
reast ncer firstmultiple
ho 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
so raises
nt uspy:
a-
radiation therapy:
Women who had radiation
therapy to the
chest or breasts (for
instance, treatment
for Hodgkin’s
Dr
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.
Courtesy of MetroPlusHealth
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 your doctor as
soon as possible.
For more information about
MetroPlusHealth plans, benefits, and
services, visit metroplus.org and
join the conversation at facebook.
com/metroplushealth and twitter
@metroplushealth. MetroPlusHealth
is part of NYC Health + Hospitals, the
nation’s largest public health system.
Dr. Tayla Schwartz
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