Jessica recently presented at ISPAN, and her publication won the 2023 Plastic and Aesthetic Nursing (PAN) Abstract to Manuscript Award!
We are thankful for her dedication to helping women in our community. We recently featured Jessica in our Advocate Spotlight and encourage you to read more about her and her work.
Madris Kinard is a healthcare IT expert, data advocate, founder and CEO of Device Events, and BISA advisor. She and her important work were recently featured in the Propublica investigation into the Philips CPA Recall. “An international team of reporters reviewed thousands of records and interviewed insiders to expose what went wrong in the global corporation.”
The ICIJ recently published an Implant Files 5-year follow-up, and several of our BISA members were quoted, including advocates Terri McGregor and Julie Elliott, along with our data expert Madris Kinard who had this to say, “It’s here—the ICIJ’s Implant Files 5 year follow-up! We have seen modest improvement in our requests for the FDA to make medical device safety data public…read to learn what was just released. We also have a bill recently introduced in the House and Senate called the Medical Device Recall Improvement Act. More work ahead!”
Advocates have been pushing for better safety measures in Canada, and the Standing Committee on Health (HESA) has taken the time to thoroughly examine the submissions from patients, advocates, and medical professionals.
Special thanks to advocates Julie Elliott, Terri McGregor, and Nancy Pratt.
Press conference on December 1, 2023, for the submission of the report on the importance of increasing surveillance of breast implants, with the ultimate goal of creating a breast implants registry.
I met with Dr. Siham Azahaf while she was in the U.S. to hear more about her work with the Silicone Outpatient Clinic in the Netherlands.
This dynamic woman is inspiring, and it was an honor to spend time together. We have a big announcement on the way for an upcoming collaboration!
Our Director of BIA-ALCL Advocacy, Jennifer Cook, Advisor Amanda Savage Brown, PhD, LCSW, and I will be on the next Breast Surgery Collaborative Council with the ASPS, ASPAS, the FDA, and other patient advocates to discuss important issues and recent research surrounding explant surgery.
A few things to expect in 2024…
BISA will speak to college students about our work, personal stories, safety tips, and how we can engage younger generations. We also have plans to build a college ambassador program.
Stay tuned for our medically reviewed patient & consumer education resource for breast implant and explant surgery coming soon.
BISA is assisting with a Breast Implant Illness (SSBI) research study and survey distribution in collaboration with the Patient Reported Outcomes, Value and Experience Center (PROVE), ASPS, and Harvard University.
Listen
BISA is a part of the Community Breast Reconstruction Alliance led by Dr. Elisabeth Potter, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Austin, Texas, specializing in DIEP flap breast reconstruction and cosmetic DIEP flap breast augmentation.
Check out this 20-minute podcast, where Dr. Porter discusses current issues relating to breast cancer and breast implant safety.
a call-to-action
We still need new, sample, or used breast implants for an awareness project.
Please email me at maria@bisanonprofit.org for more information about sending breast implants that you no longer need or are willing to part with for a good cause.
REMINDER: Please report breast implant problems or encourage your doctor to alert the FDA MedWatch Program. Doctors are not required to disclose breast implant-related issues, but the data is needed because we lack long-term reporting on breast implants.
For more information about how to report breast implant-related issues or concerns, reach out toMadris Kinard ofDevice Events.
If you are a medical professional, you can also report problems with breast implants to the FDA’s MedWatch program.
Thanks for reading! We wish you and yours a wonderful and safe holiday season.
P.S. Did you miss the November Life Letter? Read it here.
