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Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Louisiana’s largest cancer center is bringing care to you
Louisiana’s largest cancer center is bringing care to you
According to Dr. Constance Cole Blunt, medical oncologist and medical director of cancer prevention and outreach at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Baton Rouge, the best way to get people to screen for cancer is by participating in its Prevention on the Go program.
In Louisiana, where cancer rates clock in at over 40% higher than the national average, this approach isn’t just innovative – it’s necessary. Too often in Louisiana, cancer is caught at an advanced stage, drastically limiting options for care and treatment. Breast cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer in the state and has a particularly devastating impact – although Louisiana is ranked 28th in the nation for breast cancer incidence, the breast cancer mortality rate in the state is the second greatest in the country.
The factors driving these statistics are complex and interwoven with the daily struggles many Louisiana residents face in accessing medical care. Many don’t have adequate insurance and are unable to stay up-to-date on regular physicals and medical check-ups, let alone receive comprehensive cancer screenings. Rural communities struggle with transportation to far-away medical centers and a lack of access is compounded by a lack of awareness about prevalent cancers, symptoms and risk factors. These challenges are even more pronounced for communities of color in the state, who face higher rates of poverty and lower rates of health insurance coverage compared with their white counterparts. Alarmingly, Black women in Louisiana are diagnosed more frequently and are more likely to die from breast cancer than the national average.
As the largest cancer care organization in Louisiana, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center builds its approach around addressing the unique barriers faced by communities across the state. The center brings together medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and strong partnerships with clinics and hospitals to deliver comprehensive cancer care and treatment to patients – all under one roof. Patients are supported by navigators who ensure they are referred to the appropriate mobile clinics and screening services in their own communities, and that high-risk patients are prioritized for doctor visits and have a plan for accessing them. Beyond medical treatment, patients grappling with a cancer diagnosis also have access to a full support system within the center, including a palliative care specialist to help manage pain, a therapist to support mental health during treatment and even a dietitian to ensure that they’re able to maintain a healthy diet outside of their treatment program.
“We want patients to be able to walk through the door – whether it be to manage a breast cancer diagnosis or to get a screening – and get the entirety of their care taken care of in this one location,” says Dr. Blunt. “For a state where we know funding, resources and access are limited, having a patient be able to access a one-stop-shop to manage their treatment definitely makes the burden of cancer care easier for them.”
However, when breast cancer is diagnosed at a later stage, even the most comprehensive treatment plan offers limited hope for a cure. That’s why Mary Bird Perkins is focused on going beyond treatment to address the problem at its root by expanding early detection and prevention efforts across the state.
In 2002, Mary Bird launched Prevention on the Go, a program designed to bring education and early detection services to locations where people live, work, worship, shop and play. As part of the program, Mary Bird drives their mobile clinic across the state, parking everywhere from church parking lots to workplaces and creating what Dr. Blunt calls a “low intimidation environment” where people can connect with healthcare providers in a familiar setting. The events offer cancer screenings, but also health history reviews and education about preventive care. They also often provide activities, food and cooking demonstrations for community members.
“Our mobile clinics give information about detection and prevention to people in a way that’s easy to digest and fun,” explains Dr. Blunt. “Some patients come back and get their screenings with us, but sometimes these events just jumpstart somebody’s health journey. Both are important.”

Hematology, Medical Oncology
(Photo: Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center)
For Dr. Blunt, Mary Bird Perkins’ mission is personal. When she was in undergrad, her mother’s best friend passed away from advanced ovarian cancer — her first exposure to both cancer and hospice care.
“You don’t forget experiences like that,” says Dr. Blunt. “She was a working mom who gave everything to her children but had gone years without getting any cancer screenings. By the time her cancer was caught, it was very advanced.”
Mary Bird Perkins’ programming has made huge progress toward ensuring that these types of stories are less common. Since 2002, Prevention on the Go has provided more than 118,000 screenings in local communities and detected nearly 900 cancers. As a testament to their important work, Mary Bird Perkins is a recipient of Gilead Sciences’ Oncology Grant Program, an initiative aimed at advancing health equity for people impacted by cancer. In 2024, Gilead announced an overall commitment of $5 million in grant funding, spread across a number of different organizations, to support additional health equity programs globally. To date, it has awarded more than $18 million in health equity-related oncology grants for programs that advance health equity for disinvested communities.
This support has been integral in helping Mary Bird Perkins expand their Prevention on the Go efforts and expand their overall programming. “In cancer care, collaboration is really important,” Dr. Blunt emphasizes. “The more stakeholders we have at the table, the more resources we have. Partnerships help us improve access, make sure our technologies are up to date and continue to provide great care to the communities that need it. Support from organizations like Gilead allows us to put patient care first.”
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6 Creative DIY Party Ideas for LGBTQ+ Celebrations
June is Pride Month, and most of the LGBTQ+ community comes together to celebrate in the shape of parades, parties, and festivals. But why limit yourself to just one month in the year to celebrate all types of love and gender expression?
You can have celebrations throughout the year and create a theme around each event to support and cheer on the queer community. From activities to drinks and snacks, there are so many ways to DIY your own unforgettable event.
1. Paint And Sip
Paint and sip events are sophisticated get-togethers, although they’ve been known to spiral into revelry every so often as the wine flows.
Setting up your own paint and sip party is easy, as long as you have access to a hobby store. Purchase a couple of canvases, oil paints, and brushes, and you’re pretty much ready to go. You should also, of course, stock up on wine or your drinks of choice.
Once your guests arrive, everyone settles down with their art supplies and starts painting. You can stick to a pride-themed painting, or have everyone paint anything they want.
2. Fabulous Casino Night
You can never go wrong with a casino night at home. Classic casino parties involve poker tables and other card games, and you can ask your guests to dress up as if they’re going to one of the top luxury casinos in Vegas.
If your friends are a bit more tech-savvy, you can show them online casino platforms, and everyone can log onto a game together to play.
It’s recommended that you get a bit of practice first if you’re new to gambling, so review resources like 99Bitcoins Telegram casino guide to practice your gambling skills on a couple of Telegram casinos before you make a fool of yourself when your guests arrive.
3. Rainbow-Themed Cocktail Evening
Who doesn’t love a rainbow-inspired event? A fun way to get everyone involved in the celebrations is to assign all your guests a color before the event, and ask them to bring the ingredients for a cocktail of that color. Think sangria for red, appletini for green, and pineapple daiquiri for yellow.
Once everyone arrives, you can get started with the mixing and tasting. As an added bit of fun, request that each of the attendees also dress up in the colors they’ve been assigned.
4. LGBTQIA+ Trivia Night
A trivia night is the perfect opportunity to test your guests’ knowledge on all things queer. Questions can include famous LGBTQIA+ personalities, organizations, or historical events.
Just be clear about the rules upfront, including how answers should be submitted and how points are scored. You should get small prizes for the winners of each round, like candy, magnets, and restaurant vouchers for the big winners.
5. Drag Bingo Night
Planning a drag bingo night is a lot of fun, but you need some organizational skills to pull it off. You will first have to hire a drag performer, or if you’re gutsy enough, dress up in drag yourself. The drag performer will act as the host, calling out the numbers and entertaining your guests.
You will also have to prepare the bingo cards. There are plenty of free online resources to help, but you will have to print out the physical cards yourself. If you feel the inspiration, customize the cards with a Pride theme.
Next, you have to source the prizes. Custom t-shirts, gift cards, or mugs are all great bingo prizes. Or, you can make a donation in the winner’s name to an LGBTQIA+ charity.
Once your guests arrive, the fun can start. Online bingo platforms can do the number draws for you, or you can do it old school-style and add a couple of numbered balls to a box.
6. Pride-Themed Movie Night
A chilled movie night can also be a fun celebration, especially if you’re watching a queer-friendly film.
Some options include:
- Brokeback Mountain
- Love, Simon
- Call Me By Your Name
- Girl
- Moonlight
- Paris Is Building
- Pariah
Invite your guests to arrive in comfy clothes or pyjamas, and create a cozy atmosphere with lots of blankets, scatter cushions, soft seating, and of course, the typical movie snacks like popcorn and pizza.
If it’s your type of thing, you can encourage discussion about the movie once it is completed, like metaphors in the film, or whether anyone has had similar experiences to the characters.
Wrapping Up
Celebrating the queer community with a party at home can be easy with a little creative inspiration and some prior planning. What really matters when hosting is how you make your guests feel. The LGBTQIA+ community often faces discrimination and other challenges, and your role as host is to provide a safe, fun, and welcoming atmosphere for everyone in attendance.
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Forget what you thought you knew about senior living.
Bountiful amenities and myriad program offerings provide countless opportunities to explore, learn, and connect.
A focus on wellness. A wide array of concierge services, an executive pastry chef, and skilled mixologist. Technology baked into mobile apps and smart homes. Luxe touches within the big and small details that matter.
They all come together at The Mather in Tysons, Virgina, a forward-thinking Life Plan Community that upends all the stereotypes of traditional senior living. It’s a residential wellness destination for those 62 and better, consisting of 288 luxury apartment homes. And it’s 90% sold!
One of the most sought-after residences in Northern Virginia, The Mather is THE destination if you’re focused on aging well. If you want to be immersed in new cultural experiences, art, food and nature. If you expect more out of living well.
At the heart of this award-winning community is wellness, which was embedded in the design from day one. The property features 3-acres of green space with walking trails, a concert lawn and dog park – much of which is accessible to the public. You can wander through sculpture gardens, stroll on walking paths, play bocce or badminton, or linger with friends at one of the fire tables and patios.

Biophilic design throughout connects residents to the outdoors even when inside. The careful inclusion of nature within architecture is proven to nurture well-being. At The Mather, it comes to life through elements such as natural light, greenery, and wood materials which invite a sense of calm that’s often missing from modern indoor spaces. A commitment to using sustainable materials and creating a paperless environment contribute to caring for our planet.
When visiting, take time to explore the fitness center, which is equipped with advanced cardio and strength-training equipment, percussive therapy tools, and an AI-enabled body composition analyzer.
You might see residents enjoying a group class in Pilates, or practicing yoga or tai chi on the outdoor terrace. A heated indoor pool and infrared sauna are spaces for aquatic exercise and rejuvenation.
The full-service spa, Marzenia, offers a holistic menu of traditional spa treatments, including the Gharieni’s Welnamis wave bed, which uses sound and vibration to promote deep relaxation, and a Breath Lounge.
Culinary experiences at The Mather rival those of a high-end resort, with multiple on-site restaurants that curate global cuisine, as well as a bakery and pastry kitchen, and a bar+lounge with its own mixologist. Among them are all-day restaurant Maku (Finnish for savor), modern causal restaurant with outdoor seating Saam (Afrikaans for together), refined dinner venue Tashi (Tibetan for good fortune) and bar and social hub Copas (Spanish for drinks).
Staying in for the evening? Choose delivery by Gusta, a robot named for the Italian word for “enjoy,” who’ll bring a meal directly to the doorstep.
Gusta is just one way technology is integrated throughout the community. Each apartment home comes equipped with complimentary Wi-Fi and Alexa devices to control lighting, temperature, window shades, and more. Residents use digital platforms to reserve tables, request valet service, or schedule housekeeping. Of course, you can always visit, call, or text the concierge, who will personally arrange services from pet care to travel notifications.
Connection is encouraged through beautifully designed gathering spaces such as Kia Ora, a living-room lounge perfect for conversation, as well as a library stocked with books and periodicals.
Much more than a place to live, The Mather is a place to define your path to aging well, discover new interests and live boldly.
If you see yourself here, visit themathertysons.com.
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How Sports Analytics Is Transforming Football for Fans and Players
Football has always been a game of passion, skill, and drama, but in recent years, there’s been a quiet revolution happening behind the scenes. The rise of sports analytics is changing how teams play, how coaches make decisions, and even how fans experience the beautiful game. Let’s take a closer look at how data is reshaping football from the pitch to the stands.
Moving from Gut Instinct to Data-Driven Decisions
For decades, managers relied on experience and intuition to pick their line-ups and tactics. Now, detailed statistics are at the heart of every major club’s strategy. Analysts track everything from player movement and passing accuracy to shot quality and defensive positioning. This wealth of information helps coaches fine-tune training sessions, spot weaknesses in opponents, and make smarter substitutions during matches. It’s not just about numbers—it’s about turning insights into winning results.
Analytics and the Changing Fan Experience
Fans have always loved debating team selections and match tactics, but access to advanced statistics has taken this to a new level. Supporters can now dive into heat maps, player ratings, and expected goals to back up their opinions or challenge their mates. Many enjoy following live match data on their phones or TV, adding a new layer of excitement to the action. Some even use services like online sports betting to make predictions and stay engaged with the outcomes, relying on analytics to inform their choices. This interactive approach is making football more immersive for everyone, whether you’re in the stadium or watching from home.
Analytics in Irish Football
Irish clubs and national teams are also catching the analytics wave. From the League of Ireland to the international stage, coaches are using data to scout talent, prevent injuries, and develop young players. Local fans are seeing the benefits too, with more in-depth coverage and analysis available than ever before. It’s a sign that the game is evolving, blending tradition with innovation to stay ahead in a competitive world.
Balancing the Human Side and the Numbers
While statistics are powerful, football remains a game played by people, not computers. The best managers know how to balance data with empathy and leadership. Players, too, are learning to use analytics to improve their performance without losing the creativity and flair that make the sport special. It’s this mix of science and soul that keeps football captivating for generations of fans.
Sunday World’s Unique Voice in Irish Media
For readers interested in understanding the background and early impact of the Sunday World newspaper, the RTÉ archive provides an insightful look into the Origins of Sunday World, detailing how it established its unique voice in Irish media. Just as football evolves with new technology, the media landscape has shifted, but the heart of great storytelling remains the same.
As sports analytics continues to grow, it’s clear that football’s future will be shaped by both numbers and narratives. Whether you’re a die-hard supporter or a casual viewer, there’s never been a more exciting time to be part of the game’s ongoing story.
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