Preparing for the opening of the Governor’s Conference in Long Beach are WDS publicist Nancy Fitzgerald, Dr. Suzanne Connolly, Dr. Helene Rosenzweig, Dr. Paradi Mirmirani and daughter Leila, WDS Executive Director Kerry Parker, and Dr. Maryam Moinfar (in front).
At the Governor’s Conference, Leah Mirmirani shows tennis legend Billy Jean King the sun safety book she created with her mother, Paradi Mirmirani.  Later that morning, she also presented a copy to Jane Fonda. Both Fonda and King were keynote speakers at the Governor’s Conference.

n October, record-breaking crowds benefited from the Women’s Dermatologic Society’s educational outreach and dermatologic assessments at the California Governor and First Lady’s Conference on Women and Families as well as public outreach days at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Inspired by the need to better “educate, empower and encourage” people about sun safety, the Women’s Dermatologic Society (WDS) surpassed its own community service records at the recent Long Beach outreach of “Families Play Safe in the Sun”, which marks the third stop of a 15-city, 3- year campaign made possible by a $1,000,000 grant from the 3M Foundation. This family-oriented educational campaign promotes sun safety and good skin health habits as a way of life in recognition of the fact that overexposure to the sun is the primary cause of skin cancer, now the fastest growing form of cancer in America.

Housed in a dynamic, interactive exhibition booth, a team of WDS volunteers contributed a combined 150 volunteer hours over three days in Long Beach, first during the highly successful California Governor and First Lady’s Conference on Women and Families, and then for two days of public outreach at the Aquarium of the Pacific, leading to the following dramatic results:
  • 456 individuals received dermatologic assessments utilizing the DermaScan machine, with 15% referred to their dermatologists for further evaluation.
  • 390 exhibition visitors were photographed with the UV reflectance camera and reviewed results with WDS dermatologists.
  • 162 attendees of the Governor and First Lady’s Conference underwent free skin cancer screenings by WDS dermatologists.
  • 20 schools and organizations signed up for the WDS “Adopt-a-School” program featuring the Environmental Protection Agency’s Sun-Wise Kit for educators, which can be paired with a local WDS dermatologist in each community who will volunteer to reach out to children in classrooms and after-school programs.
  • 100 school-aged children entered the “Families Play Safe in the Sun” national coloring contest, and drew original images of sun-safe families enjoying the outdoors.
  • 7,000 free sunscreen samples were distributed to the public.
  • 3,500 educational brochures and sun safety items were given to exhibition visitors.
  • 200 signed copies of the children’s book, “Safe in the Sun” were distributed to the public during a book signing with the coauthors, WDS member Paradi Mirmirani, MD, and Sheila Belkin.
  • 200 school children and parents took the sun safety quiz as a fun way to raise their “Sun Safety IQ.”

MORE BELOW...


Dr. Zena Hatziris explains the results of a UV Photo showing sun damage
Dr. Maggie Olson (at right) provided skin cancer screenings from the exhibit booth. Shown here answering questions following a screening.
Isn’t it nice when your sister is nice to you!
Volunteering at the Aquarium were Drs. Zena Hatziris (and her son!), Han Lee and Lenore Kakita.

The WDS Community Service effort, led nationally by Suzanne M. Connolly, MD, Associate Professor of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, was co-hosted in Long Beach by WDS members Pearl Grimes, MD, UCLA clinical dermatology faculty member and Director, Vitiligo & Pigmentation Institute, Southern California, and Lenore S. Kakita, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology at UCLA.

Several WDS dermatologist member volunteers from the Greater Los Angeles area joined in the Long Beach outreach efforts, including Mavis Billips, MD, Joyce Fox, MD, Daniel Gross, MD, Anna Guanche, MD, Zena Hatziris, MD, Lenore Kakita, MD, Bryna Kane, MD, Jenny Kim, MD, Han Lee, MD, Maryam Moinfar, MD, Paradi Mirmirani, MD, Margaret Olsen, MD, Helene Rosenzweig, MD, and Parrish Sadeghi, MD. UCLA residents who volunteered were David Beynet, MD, Dafnis Carranza, MD, Roger Lee, MD, Thomas Su, MD, Laura Westerling, MD, Eric Williams, MD, Sharona Yashar, MD, and Jay Zimmerman, MD. Volunteer support was also provided by Mari Simonson from 3M Corporation, Carol Rifton, Unilever/Dove, and Holly Rujevcan and Kathy Spencer from Connetics.

In addition to generous funding from the 3M Foundation, product donations were provided by Del-Ray Dermatologicals, LaRoche-Posay, Ortho Neutrogena, Phoenix Brands, Procter & Gamble, Schering-Plough, Starberry, Ltd., and Unilever. DermaScan units were furnished by Schering-Plough and the UV reflectance camera was provided by 3M Corporation.


Two boys take the Sun Safety Quiz.
Drs. Lenore Kakita, Suzanne Connolly, Zena Hatziris and Han Lee behind sun safety resources they are distributing to crowds at the Aquarium of the Pacific.
Dr. Lenore Kakita explains the results of the UV Photo she has taken.




Women’s Dermatologic Society
575 Market Street, Suite 2125, San Francisco, CA 94105
Toll-Free: 1-877-WDS-ROSE (937-7673)
Tel: (415) 764-4925 Fax: (415) 764-4933
eMail: wds@womensderm.org | www.playsafeinthesun.org