The BRAVE (Breast Restoration AdVocacy Education) Coalition Foundation has appointed Lisa Shumpert as the new President of its Executive Board, effective immediately. Shumpert brings extensive leadership experience from her role as Chief Human Resources Officer at Comar and is the bestselling author of Team Turnaround - Spark High Performance in Your Direct Reports. She succeeds John Gwin, who led the organization for two years and prepared it for future growth.
This leadership change matters because BRAVE addresses critical unmet needs for women seeking breast reconstruction after cancer surgery. The organization was founded in 2012 by Dr. Allen Gabriel and Dr. Christine Grogan to educate survivors about reconstruction options, advocate for legislative and insurance industry changes, connect patients with resources, and restore quality of life regardless of insurance, socioeconomic status, education level, or race.
Despite the Women's Health Cancer Rights Act of 1988 (WHCRA) aiming to bridge care gaps, significant challenges persist. Patients face difficulty finding doctors who accept insurance, lack of insurance coverage for many, and health disparities where black women have a 38% higher mortality rate than white women with less access to care. These systemic issues make BRAVE's mission increasingly vital as healthcare inequities continue to affect patient outcomes.
Shumpert outlined three primary goals for BRAVE under her leadership: expanding the network of breast and plastic surgeons to assist more patients, increasing funding from donors, and continuing to partner with Northwestern University to increase funding and education activities specifically to help black women access care. Providing essential resources to patients remains a foundational goal.
The implications of this appointment extend beyond organizational leadership. For breast cancer survivors, particularly those from marginalized communities, BRAVE's work under Shumpert could mean improved access to reconstruction surgery, better navigation of insurance complexities, and reduced racial disparities in cancer care outcomes. For the healthcare industry, BRAVE's advocacy efforts may influence insurance coverage policies and physician network participation, potentially creating systemic change in how reconstruction services are delivered and funded.
Patients and supporters can learn more about the organization's work at https://www.bravecoalition.org. The foundation's continued focus on education, advocacy, and resource connection represents a critical support system for women navigating the complex journey of breast cancer treatment and recovery, making this leadership transition significant for both current and future patients seeking comprehensive care.
