Patricia Barr, local and national breast cancer advocate, who died of breast cancer in 2003, was honored at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) in the Women’s Imaging Center. Barr’s family, including her mother Marie Barr, husband, Rolf Sternberg, and children Shira and Tava Sternberg, dedicated the Women’s Imaging Center waiting room in loving memory of Patricia with a plaque.
“It is a very special honor to be a part of this dedication,” stated Thomas A. Dee, President and CEO of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC). “Meeting and talking with all of Pat’s family and friends at this special event shows what an extraordinary and courageous woman she was.”
Barr was deeply involved with starting and maintaining the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program with assistance from Senator Patrick Leahy. To date, the program has lobbied for $2.5 billion dollars for worldwide breast cancer research. Barr was also the founder of the Vermont Breast Cancer Network as well as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Breast Cancer Coalition where she led the national action plan on breast cancer.
The SVMC Women’s Imaging Center opened in August of 2007. The Center was personally designed by women for women. With the use of new state of the art digital mammography equipment, patients have less wait time and shorter appointments. Patients have fewer sleepless nights because the diagnostic results are given on the same day. SVMC’s Women’s Imaging Center has received national patient satisfaction ratings in the 99th percentile.
SVMC is part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care, a not-for-profit health system that exists solely for the benefit of the communities it serves. SVHC depends in part on the generosity of donors to deliver the high-quality care that is the system’s hallmark.
For information about donating to SVHC, call the Development Office at 802-447-5017.