Modern medicine is great and all, but it works only when you have access to it. And despite the strides American has taken with Obamacare, there are still a lot of people without insurance or access to the wisdom of white-coated MDs.
And because of these issues, studies show that Miami's minority women are less likely to seek preventative breast care. Not good.
The Mammography Art Initiative (MAI), an FIU group, has been working to change that since 2011, when it launched its first art show dedicated to raising funds to support women in underserved communities. In the past two years, MAI has raised more than $50,000, and its third event, Strength, is coming up this Saturday, October 11.
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MAI was dreamed up by med students at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University. The money they raise goes to sponsor mammograms and follow-up care for hundreds of women across Miami-Dade.
The evening will include a lecture from gastroenterologist Dr. Pedro "Joe" Greer (MacArthur "Genius Grant" and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient) about the future of the MAI Green Family Foundation, NeighborhoodHelp, and the Linda Fenner 3D Mammography Center; a silent auction/art show with paintings, photography, sculpture and other masterpieces by local artists; and drawings of gift cards and other donations. Oh, and light refreshments of course.
"It's a wonderful way to collaborate with the medical and art communities," Sara Kim, MAI's art director, says of the event. "Medicine is an art form, but art can be therapeutic. However, it's rare to see both communities working collaboratively. In addition, you can learn more about our clinical programs and the Linda Fenner 3D Mammography Center."
The funds raised this year will be used for a host of projects, she adds. "We are expanding our initiative to include more than breast health care to a global women's health education and services. Our new Linda Fenner 3D Mammography Center is a mobile clinic, which will go out into the underserved areas in Miami and provide breast cancer screenings with advanced mammogram technology."
In other words, the dollars will be doing good. Isn't that reason enough to show face and buy something? Think of the tatas.
The event runs from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, October 11, at the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, 10975 SW 17th St., Miami. Admission is $5 for students and $20 for non-students.
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