FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 20, 2019
Saratoga Hospital Breast Surgeon Honored for Commitment to Cancer Patients
Dr. Patricia Rae Kennedy receives To Life! Extra Mile Award
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY, November 20, 2019 —To Life! recently honored Dr. Patricia Rae Kennedy, breast surgeon and clinical director of Saratoga Hospital Center for Breast Care, with the Extra Mile Award.
Presented at the annual ToLife! Pink Ball in October, the award recognizes Kennedy’s exceptional commitment to her patients—as a surgeon, advocate and educator.
“Dr. Kennedy has earned a reputation far beyond Saratoga Hospital for her work on behalf of breast cancer patients,” said Dr. Richard Falivena, vice president and chief medical and physician integration officer at Saratoga Hospital. “She is a leader in national efforts to ensure that patients have access to the highest quality medical care and to the support that makes an enormous difference in adjusting to life after a breast cancer diagnosis.”
ToLife! was founded in 1998 to help meet the needs of breast cancer patients throughout the Greater Capital Region. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to educating the community about breast cancer detection, treatments and related health matters, and providing support services to breast cancer patients, caregivers, family and friends.
Kennedy has more than two decades of experience as a dedicated breast surgeon. She came to Saratoga Hospital in 2015 from Indiana University Health North Hospital, where she launched and led a successful, nationally accredited, comprehensive breast care program.
As a surveyor for the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, Kennedy travels to programs around the country to ensure that they provide the highest standard of care to women with breast disease. She also serves on the board of trustees of Casting for Recovery, a national nonprofit organization that combines education and support for breast cancer patients with instruction in the art of fly fishing. She has presented at the ToLife! Beat the Odds education program.
A fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Kennedy earned her medical degree from SUNY Stony Brook School of Medicine. After an internship and residency there, she completed a surgical fellowship in breast disease at the Faulkner Breast Center and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, both in Boston. She is board certified by the American Board of Surgery.
Caption: Eileen Howe Bird, executive director of ToLife! (left), presents the organization’s Extra Mile Award to Dr. Patricia Rae Kennedy, breast surgeon and clinical director of Saratoga Hospital Center for Breast Care. Photo credit: Semeraro Photography.
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About Saratoga Hospital: Saratoga Hospital is the Saratoga region’s leading healthcare provider and the only acute-care facility in Saratoga County. The hospital’s multispecialty practice, Saratoga Hospital Medical Group, provides care at more than 20 locations, ensuring easy access to programs and services that can have the greatest impact on individual and community health. Saratoga Hospital has maintained Magnet designation for nursing excellence since 2004. Through its affiliation with Columbia Memorial Health and Albany Med, Saratoga Hospital is part of the largest locally governed health system in the region. For more information: www.saratogahospital.org or www.facebook.com/SaratogaHospital.
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Peter Hopper
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phopper@saratogahospital.org