DOGS, ALL DRESSED UP IN PINK       

Pink Pooches Raise Awareness about Breast Cancer

Dogs, dressed in pink attire, will strut their stuff in hopes of winning the Cutest Canine, Most Playful Pooch and Most Dazzling Dog awards given by Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano during the hospital’s fourth annual Pink Pooch Parade. These dogs and their owners regularly serve as volunteers visiting patients and assisting in rehabilitation therapy at Baylor Plano.

BE THERE!      

The parade takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 10 to 11 a.m., Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano, 4700 Alliance Blvd., Plano, Texas. The canine event is part of the hospital’s breast cancer awareness celebration on Pink Out Day.  

MAY I HAVE THE ENVELOPE, PLEASE?        

Awards – Cutest Canine and Most Playful Pooch – will be given by Jerri Garison, president, Baylor Plano, at the 10:45 a.m. awards ceremony in Education Center 1 on the Garden Level of the hospital.

“The pet therapy dogs put a smile on the faces of our patients, guests and staff members, especially when they’re all dressed up in pink. They also help us remind women that early detection offers the best chance for successful treatment of breast cancer,” says Garison.  “Our Baylor Plano clinicians encourage women to be diligent in sticking to a routine of breast self-exam, mammography and clinical examination by a physician.”

Baylor Plano will sponsor several additional activities throughout October to raise awareness of breast cancer and raise support for breast health and oncology education.

Pink Floral Garden, which will be displayed in the front lobby of the hospital throughout the month of October, will be filled with thoughts of hope, encouragement and inspiration and pay tribute to all who have faced breast cancer.  Baylor Plano employees purchased and decorated pink floral signs in support of breast cancer patients.

Caring for a Loved One With Cancer: Wednesday, Oct. 7, 12 to 1 p.m. in Education Center 1-4 on the Garden Level of Baylor Plano. Author, radio host and cancer survivor June Hunt will be the featured speaker. Lunch will be provided. To register please call 1.800.4BAYLOR or visit www.BaylorHealth.com/PlanoEvents.

Celebrating Women & Fall Fashion: Thursday, October 15, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Physician Panel featuring Baylor Plano breast cancer specialists. 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Reception. 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Fashion show featuring breast cancer survivors. Saks Fifth Avenue at The Shops at Willow Bend, 2401 Dallas Pkwy. in Plano. To register please call 1.800.4BAYLOR or visit www.BaylorHealth.com/PlanoEvents.

Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano is a 112-bed acute care hospital committed to serving North Texas residents with personalized care and advanced technology on a beautiful campus with hotel-like amenities and all private rooms. Services at the not-for-profit, fully-accredited facility include treatment for advanced spine deformities at the Baylor Scoliosis Center, neurosciences, orthopaedics, medical and radiation oncology, surgical weight loss, women’s services, gynecology, urology, gastroenterology, pulmonary medicine, sleep disorders, pain management, diabetes management and more. Patients have access to digital imaging onsite at Baylor Plano and at the Baylor Diagnostic Imaging Center at Craig Ranch, an outpatient department of Baylor Plano.

The hospital is the first in North Dallas and Collin County to offer minimally invasive robotic surgery for gynecology and prostate procedures through the FDA-approved da Vinci® S Surgical System.  The hospital has won several quality awards including the Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Award of Excellence and has received a Pathway to Excellence™ designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Jerri Garison is president of Baylor Plano. For fiscal year 2008, Baylor Health Care System reported $446 million in community benefit, which includes providing care for charity patients and patients enrolled in government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, as well as the unreimbursed costs of medical education, research and community programs. For more information, visit www.baylorhealth.com.