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(October 17, 2008—Half Moon Bay, CA)-- Volunteer dermatologists, nurses, medical students and others representing the Women’s Dermatologic Society (WDS) teamed up at the recent LPGA’s Samsung World Championship in Half Moon Bay, CA to combat skin cancer at a time when melanoma rates are on the upswing among younger women.
Supporting their efforts is top-ranked LPGA Tour player Paula Creamer, who serves as sun safety ambassador of the WDS Play Safe in the Sun campaign. Creamer won the prestigious championship in a field consisting of the world’s top 20 players. "It feels so great winning this championship and so does supporting the Women's Dermatologic Society's winning effort to raise awareness about sun safety and skin cancer for outdoor enthusiasts," comments Paula Creamer.
 This community service outreach, presented in collaborative partnership with L'Oréal USA, primarily targets females who enjoy outdoor sports such as golf and tennis.
WDS President Suzanne Connolly states, “Every person who comes into the booth to learn more about protecting the skin from sun damage is a victory for us, as we are fully committed to doing our part to promote good skin health practices and skin cancer prevention through sun safety education and early detection.”
WDS Board member and board-certified California dermatologist Mary Spellman, MD, successfully led a well-rounded team of volunteers through a weekend of free skin cancer screenings, sun safety education and sun damage assessments utilizing ultraviolet reflectance units. Dermatologists, dermatology nurses, medical students, family members of the WDS volunteers and others worked together to reach out to a population that faces a heightened risk of developing skin cancer due to the prolonged sun exposure that comes with the game of golf.
“We were delighted to educate and screen tournament spectators and members of the media who spend a considerable amount of time outdoors and did not fully realize the necessity of year-round sun protection in the Bay Area’s cloudy and cooler weather,” remarks event chair Dr. Spellman.
The following local dermatologists volunteered at the outreach: Kiera Barr, MD, Sonia Badreshia, MD, Kelly Cordoro, MD, Juliette Lee, MD, Paradi Mirmirani, MD, Kristin Nord, MD, Marlyanne Pol-Rodriguez, MD, Mary Spellman, MD, Lynn Sydor, MD, and Nancy Todes-Taylor, MD. WDS President Suzanne Connolly, MD of the Mayo Clinic (Arizona) joined in the sun safety educational outreach as well.
Boston University medical students Cindy Bae and Lisa Nguyen conducted the campaign’s first formal questionnaire, which was designed to measure the impact of viewing sun damage on participating individuals in terms of present and future sun protection behaviors. The study will eventually be published after further data is collected during a future WDS outreach.
Enhancing the public outreach in support of the physicians were dermatology nurses Janet Lewis, RN and Pat McClelland, RN, both members of the Dermatology Nurses Association, and Pat Wong, RN. Others providing hands-on support included Sandy Esquivel, Nora Zappas and several family members of the WDS dermatologists, including young children who helped distribute free sunscreen to the crowd.
Event highlights include:
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292 sun damage assessments were conducted utilizing UV reflectance units. |
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242 individuals participated in the sun damage assessment study. |
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92 free skin cancer screenings were conducted for fans and members of the media. |
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35% of the individuals who were screened were referred to dermatologists for further diagnosis/biopsy of suspicious sites presumptively diagnosed as skin cancer. |
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Golf fans received 13,000 free samples of broad-spectrum sunscreen with reminders to protect the skin even under the area’s cloudy skies and cooler weather. |
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Hayward Mayor Michael Sweeney issued a proclamation to WDS in recognition of the importance of sun safety and skin cancer prevention. |
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 The 3-year outreach campaign is made possible through a generous grant from L'Oréal USA to the WDS Foundation. Product donations were provided by Garnier, Lancôme and La Roche-Posay.
WDS members Adrienne Stewart, MD (Denver, CO) and Michel McDonald, MD (Nashville, TN) serve as co-chairs of the WDS Service Committee. The Play Safe in the Sun campaign draws from the Society’s 1,600 members to provide volunteer support in local communities to heighten sun safety awareness and promote healthy skin practices among outdoor enthusiasts.
For further information, please visit: www.playsafeinthesun.org or www.womensderm.org.
To view Paula Creamer’s video message about sun safety, visit:http://www.playsafeinthesun.org/news/paula_creamer.html
ABOUT THE WOMEN’S DERMATOLOGIC SOCIETY (WDS)
The Women's Dermatologic Society supports the careers and professional development of women dermatologists. The mission of the Women’s Dermatologic Society is to help women in dermatology achieve their greatest personal and professional potential by striving to foster, promote, and support women’s issues in dermatology; identify, train, and recognize women leaders in dermatology; and provide a forum for developing relationships and the exchange of ideas and research relevant to women’s issues; and promote the highest possible standards of ethics, research, patient care and education, as well as public education.
ABOUT L'ORÉAL USA
L'Oréal USA, headquartered in New York City, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of L'Oréal SA, one of the world’s leading beauty companies. L'Oréal USA has Research and Development, Manufacturing and Distribution facilities across eight states in the U.S., including New York, New Jersey, Kentucky, Arkansas, Illinois, Ohio, Colorado and Texas. L'Oréal's impressive portfolio of brands includes Lancôme, Giorgio Armani, Shu Uemura, L'Oréal Paris, Garnier, Vichy, La Roche-Posay, L'Oréal Professionel and Kérastase. The U.S. is the base for the product development, international marketing and advertising for L'Oréal's nine American brands: Maybelline New York, Soft-Sheen, Carson, Kiehl’s Since 1851, Ralph Lauren Fragrances, Redken 5th Avenue NYC, Matrix, Mizani, SkinCeuticals and PureOlogy.
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PLAY SAFE IN THE SUN' MAKING HEADLINES
» Dermatology Times
Read about "Dermatology's Ambassador"
» New York Times
The WDS community outreach service Play Safe in the Sun makes headlines, as recently featured in Sports Section of the New York Times.
» Dermatology Times
'Playing it safe: Women's derm society reaches thousands with sun protection message'
» Back 9 Radio Network
Interview with Dr. Valerie Callender
» New Haven Register
Play Safe in the Sun at New Haven's Pilot Pen Tennis Tournament |
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Please join us for a fun and rewarding community service outreach, offering free skin cancer screenings, sun damage assessments and sun safety education for golf enthusiasts enjoying the LPGA Tournament. We also have a special day for private screenings for the LPGA Tour players and caddies.
Members: Volunteer now for future events
For more information please call the
WDS office at: 1-877-WDS-ROSE (937-7673)
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Samsung World Championship Official Site
Half Moon Bay Golf Links
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ABOUT THE EVENT:
Over the past 28 years, the World Championship has become the definitive championship to decide the world’s best woman golfer. Developed by the late founder of IMG, Mark McCormack, and the LPGA, the original format of the Championship featured the world’s top 12 players. In 1995, Samsung became the title sponsor and has been an integral part of the development of the event.
To reflect the growing number of outstanding women professionals from around the world, the Championship field in 1996 was increased to 16 players and in 1999, to 20 players. This year, the 28th Samsung World Championship will test the world’s 20 best players.
(Learn more at: Official Samsung World Championship Site)
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For further information about Women’s Dermatologic Society, visit:
www.womensderm.org
www.playsafeinthesun.org
Contact (General Inquiries): WDS Offices at 1-877-WDS-ROSE
Contact (Media Inquiries): Nancy FitzGerald, Director of Communications at (760) 333-9296
The Women's Dermatologic Society supports the careers and professional development of women dermatologists. The mission of the Women’s Dermatologic Society is to help women in dermatology achieve their greatest personal and professional potential by striving to: foster, promote, and support women’s issues in dermatology; identify, train, and recognize women leaders in dermatology; and provide a forum for developing relationships.
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