During our first year after Bridget’s death and the creation of this Foundation in her memory, we performed a number of activities targeted to meet our organizational mission – “To do good works to honor Bridget Nesko’s memory and legacy”.
PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN FOCUS GROUPS:
To help us to better understand the US medical environment with regard to ovarian cancer, we held a series of three Zoom focus group events between January and May 2023, which included more than 22 primary care MD and DO physicians from throughout the US. Our intent was to gage their awareness and response to facing a gradually increasing presence of the signs and symptoms common to ovarian cancer in a patient. 16 of those participants were men, six were women, and all had ongoing private practices, treating patients every single day.
While not a formal survey in any sense, based on the limited sampling, what we discovered was that:
- More than 80% were unable to recognize ovarian cancer as a possible cause of the symptoms;
- More than 65% would refer their patient to other “specialists”, the majority of which were not gynecologists or gynecological oncologists;
- Two out of three admitted that their area of focus was not “cancer” and they would not recognize that as a possible cause;
- If asked to do so, less than half would recommend or approve a CA-125 blood test as a means of measuring the possible presence of a cancer;
- All “believed” that they had lost patients to ovarian cancer since beginning in private practice.
It is our intent to conduce more and more inclusive and intensive Focus Group events over the next 24 months, to refine our understanding of the precise “educational re-fresh” needs of the patient-facing medical community.
OUTREACH VISITS TO SPREAD AWARENESS:
We attended more than a dozen live events to distribute information, literature and wristbands related to ovarian cancer and to share Bridget’s experience with women and their families.
LIVE NATIONAL RADIO PROGRAMS AND PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS:
We tested producing and promoting a live, weekly radio broadcast, aired locally in the Delaware Valley area on radio station 92.1 WVLT FM, in Vineland, New Jersey, and available nationally through various platforms. The broadcast was supported by the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition and served as a pilot program to test establishing a permanent monthly national live broadcast to unite the US ovarian cancer community. This communications venue will be established through various digital platforms by late 2025.
EDUCATIONAL STIPENDS AND AWARDS TO HONOR BRDGET NESKO
We received a number of inquiries about our “scholarship” award program from throughout the US. The “scholarship program” was targeted to help dependents of families impacted by ovarian cancer. While we did issue several awards in 2023 and 2024, most of the inquiries we received were actually from bereaved family members, seeking advice on how we dealt with the loss of Bridget in 2022 – demonstrating the need for the availability for targeted bereavement and grief counseling for ovarian cancer victim families.
We also established three test “memorial programs”, including annual awards for students and excellent nursing professionals demonstrating their extreme care for their patients and their families. Programs were established at two of Bridget’s alumna schools – George Mason University, in Falls Church, Virginia, and Little Flower High School for Girls, in Philadelphia. Another program was established to recognize outstanding clinical professionals at Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice. Two of these programs will receive private funding for continuation beyond our initial “test” period.
Finally, we were proud to attend the placement of a plaque memorializing Bridget Nesko at the Brooklyn, New York headquarters of “Tell Every Amazing Lady About Ovarian Cancer Louisa M. McGregor Ovarian Cancer Foundation” – an organization we fully support, applaud for their excellent work in serving the ovarian cancer community and look forward to continuing to work with and support to accomplish our mutual goals.