Dr. Ora Karp Gordon gave our members an incredibly helpful talk on genetics and cancer.

All cancer is genetic- genetic mutations lead to cancer.
There are two types:
Somatic- occurs in a single cell and is NOT passed on to your children
Germline - occurs in gametes, is present in every cell in your body, and leads to hereditary cancers such as the BRCA gene for breast cancer (BRCA is also very indicative for ovarian cancer).
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Genetic testing can help you learn if you carry genes indicative of one or more cancer types. These tests are much more affordable today.

Dr. Gordon recommended the following screenings:
HPV
Mammograms
Colonoscopies
Prostate surveillance
Low dose CT for current or former smokers 
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She also mentioned an exciting new test, the Galleri MCED (multi-cancer early detection) test which can detect a shared cancer signal across 50+ types of cancers. Currently, this test is not covered by insurance.

On September 19th, the Irene Dunne Guild held its General Meeting, where members gathered to discuss the ongoing activities and initiatives of the Guild. As always, the meeting served as an opportunity to connect, share updates, and celebrate the Guild’s continued impact, including the recent "Treats for Caregiver" and the "Fiesta" events.

In addition to the reports on our regular activities, we were delighted to welcome three new members into the Guild. Christine Ofiesh, our Membership Co-Chair, introduced Panthea Shafipour and Elizabeth Mullan, who were in attendance, and we also welcomed Lauren O'Donnell, who was not present at the meeting.

Panthea Shafipour is inspired by the Guild’s philanthropic focus and commitment to caring for people. Elizabeth Mullan rejoins us as a former member, eager to contribute her talents and experience from her involvement in other organizations. Lauren O'Donnell appreciates the Guild’s speakers, programs, and the group’s enthusiasm, and she deeply values the hospital.
We are excited to welcome Panthea, Elizabeth and Lauren to our community!
With their unique perspectives and enthusiasm, we look forward to the positive impact they will bring as we continue working together to support Saint John's Health Center.

The meeting continued with the presentation on genetic testing and cancer prevention by Dr. Ora Karp Gordon of Saint John's Cancer Institute.

​Photos: Panthea and Elizabeth with Membership co-chair Christine, and Lauren.

This year’s “Treats for Caregivers,” organized by the Irene Dunne Guild, took place on September 12th and was a great success!

Nearly 1,000 ice cream treats along with hundreds of gift cards and prizes were given away during last Thursday’s annual ‘Treats for Caregivers’ event! Hosted by the Irene Dunne Guild and Saint John's Health Center Foundation, Treats for Caregivers is organized as a way to have fun and show appreciation for the hard work done by the wonderful staff across the Health Center. Caregivers got to choose between a variety of ice cream flavors from the King Kone ice cream trucks while listening to malt shop oldies and answering trivia questions or hula-hooping for prizes! There were 689 ice creams given out during the day and over 200 given out during the night shift in the cafe. Thank you to all who attended and to the Irene Dunne Guild and Foundation organizers who hosted. Another big shout-out to the local business vendors who donated prizes for the occasion including Shake Shack, Bludso’s BBQ, Dunkin’ Donuts, Randy’s Donuts, Santa Monica Seafood, Mendocino Farms, Uppers Café Bake Shop, Café Luxxe, El Cholo, Cookie Good & Petitgrain Boulangerie.

A big thank you to event chair Diane Morgan for organizing, to Morgan Culbertson for the fun Trivia, and to the amazing IDG volunteers who helped make the event possible. We also extend our gratitude to all our sponsors and give a BIG Thank you to Shake Shack for its large generous donation!
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Treats for Caregivers sponsored by:
Bludso's BBQ
Cafe Luxxe
Cookie Good
Dunkin' Donuts
El Cholo
Mendocino Farms
Petitgrain Boulangerie
Randy's Donuts
Santa Monica Seafood
Uppers Cafe and Bakeshop

On Thursday, August 29th, the Irene Dunne Guild community gathered at the beautiful Beach Club for the annual Fiesta event. This special occasion celebrates the IDG members and their mission to benefit Saint John’s Health Center, along with their spirit of friendship and camaraderie. The event was open to members and their partners, providing a wonderful opportunity to connect and enjoy each other's company.
As evening fell, the Beach Club lit up, creating a magical atmosphere under the night sky. We all had a delightful time!
A big thank you to Lucy Fisher, IDG Vice President, for organizing this festive party!

Fiesta 2024, the annual event for IDG members and their partners, will be held on August 29th at the beautiful Beach Club. To purchase tickets (members only), please visit the Online Payments page. The Fiesta event is a highly anticipated and fun-filled social gathering celebrating the genuine camaraderie and friendships that define the Irene Dunne Guild community.
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The Fiesta is an event dedicated to YOU, the IDG Members. We want to celebrate our hard work, enjoy each other's company and take a moment of gratitude. We look forward to seeing
​ you!

Dr. Dale Bredesen is the Sr. Director of Precision Brain Health at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. He strongly encouraged us to take steps to slow down and perhaps even prevent the development of Alzheimer's. Early detection of symptoms is critical in the early phases of this disease. He delineates the four phases as such:

Phase One: You are asymptomatic, but signs of the disease can be determined through blood tests, a detection of a specific gene called ApoE4, PET scans, and a cognoscopy (a measurement of one's cognitive functioning).

Phase Two: the Subjective Cognitive Impairment (SCI) phase lasts two to ten years. At this point, people self-report some trouble with memory and other cognitive tasks.

Phase Three: Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) signs appear. People will score abnormally on most cognitive tests and perform worse year over year. However, they can still perform normally on everyday tasks.

Phase Four: At this point, full dementia has set in. 

Dr. Bredesen recommends everyone over the age of 40 be assessed for Stage One. PNI is one place that offers such assessments. If you wish to learn more, Dr. Bredesen has also written several books on this subject including the NYT bestseller, "The End of Alzheimer's" (2017).

The Irene Dunne Guild was founded on July 17, 1987.
​Happy 37th Birthday, IDG!

"The brand new, innovative Women's Health and Wellness Institute (WH&WI) is opening at Providence Saint John's Health Center. The soft opening of WH&WI is scheduled for May 6, 2024.  Several weeks earlier, on March 22, 2024, a group of us members of the Irene Dunne Guild, which supports Saint John's, got the opportunity to take a Pink Hard Hat tour of the Institute. The group consisted of me, Kathy Yawitz (President of the Irene Dunne Guild), Stephanie Weston (Newsletter Chair), Lorena Craven and Suzanne Caldwell (Think Pink Chairs), Janis Gallo (Liaison to WH&WI), Jill Robertson (Allocation Chair), Maria Arechaederra (Fundraising and Sponsorships Chair, along with Fran Flanagan, who coudn't join us that morning), and Susie DeWeese (Patron Drive Chair, along with Evelyn Guerboian, who also coudn't join us that morning).

We started our morning at Saint John's Health Center Foundation, where Joni Chroman, the Executive Director of WH&WI, gave us a PowerPoint presentation and answered questions. We learned that WH&WI consists of McAlister Maternal & Newborn Services and Margie Petersen Breast Center, located at Providence Saint John's Health Center, and the new Women's Health & Wellness Center, located at the 1301 20th Street building, which will start with three clinical care programs and progress from there.  
We then walked over to the 1301 20th Street building, put on our pink hard hats and toured the new Women's Health & Wellness Center, which has a beautiful lobby with views, a boutique area, and various rooms for services that will be provided by the many medical doctors and healthcare professionals that will work at WH&WI."
Kathy Yawitz
Irene Dunne Guild, President

On March 21st, at the IDG general meeting, our guest speaker, Dr. Jason Tarpley, M.D., Ph.D. spoke to the IDG members on the topic “Women and Stroke Risks”. Dr. Tarpley is the Director of the Stroke and Neurovascular Center at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute (PNI). He gave a very engaging and informative presentation filled with useful facts and tips. Our members really enjoyed this talk and had lots of questions for him.

He taught us to BE FAST when we suspect someone is having a stroke.
Balance: is the person showing loss of balance?
Eyes: is the person experiencing loss of vision in one or both eyes?
Face: is the person's face drooping?
Arm: is one arm weaker than the other?
Speech: Difficulty with speech?
​Time: Call 911 immediately