Helen S. Carlos Comprehensive Oncology Education Fund
Mrs. Helen S. Carlos, native of Atlanta, Piedmont baby, and devoted wife and mother, has a long history of civic engagement and community service. After raising her two children, Helen became involved with several nonprofit organizations across Georgia, including Visiting Nurse Health System (VNHS), Hospice Atlanta, Zoo Atlanta, Children’s Healthcare, the Marcus Autism Center, the Ronald McDonald House, Open Hand, Cobb Energy Center, Devereux Georgia Camp, and Sunshine On a Ranney Day. She’s also served on the Hospice Board of Directors for six years, and is currently a member of The Advisory Board.
In 2015, Helen wanted to further her community involvement, however her focus shifted toward her health: she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her Gynecologist, Dr. Richard Taylor M.D., OBGYN-F.A.C.O. G, recommended that she consult with Dr. William Barber M.D., F.A.C.S, who reviewed her case and made the final determination that led to her diagnosis. "As scared as I was, I had the best and most caring group of physicians I could have ever dreamed of. The teams of Dr. Bill Barber, Dr. Joseph Woods, Dr. Perry Ballard, Dr. Adam Nowlan, The Piedmont Wellness Center and The Waters Pavilion made what was a very difficult time in my life much calmer and easier.”
With all the kindness and amazing care, she received, she wanted to give back to Piedmont and the support staff and physicians that played an instrumental role in educating her about the importance of breast health. She wanted the same level of care and passion that she received through education to be provided to every patient. Helen generously decided to establish a fund to support Piedmont Atlanta’s Comprehensive Oncology Education Programs, specifically for women with breast cancer.
Piedmont Oncology is itself a broad-based program seeing about 3,500 new cancer patients each year covering all modalities. The Atlanta campus is the center of tertiary care and sees the majority of patients across the 8-hospital Piedmont Healthcare system. The mission of Piedmont Healthcare is to provide superior patient-centered care and to have a positive impact on every life we touch, while ensuring patients receive the respect and dignity they deserve through their treatments. A critical component in carrying out this important work is to fully inform and educate clinical staff about cutting edge advancements in cancer treatments, research, clinical approaches, and much more. The education program designed herein will enhance the majority of disciplines that support each oncology patient treated at Piedmont. To maximize Piedmont’s continuing education requirements, the hospital typically budgets a significant amount each year to fully enrich and enable oncology education for clinical and support staff, however this fund is designed to supplement the funding provided by Piedmont, and in some cases, employee contributions.
In addition to Helen’s magnificent work and generosity to the Atlanta community, she generously donates her time as a volunteer on the planning committee for Piedmont’s annual Angels on Earth event, in which all proceeds go toward comprehensive cancer funds for Piedmont Atlanta. As a not-for-profit organization, Piedmont relies on the generosity of our donors in order to offer many programs and services to the community.
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