The BRAVE (Breast Restoration AdVocacy Education) Coalition Foundation announced the appointment of Lisa Shumpert as the new President of its Executive Board, effective immediately. The organization, founded in 2012 by Dr. Allen Gabriel and Dr. Christine Grogan, focuses on addressing the unmet needs of women seeking access to breast reconstruction plastic surgeons. Shumpert brings a proven track record as a senior executive, including her most recent role as Chief Human Resources Officer at Comar, where she led organizational turnaround efforts. She is also the bestselling author of Team Turnaround - Spark High Performance in Your Direct Reports.
The appointment comes at a critical time when the Women's Health Cancer Rights Act of 1988 (WHCRA) has not fully bridged gaps in care. Many patients still face significant challenges, including difficulty finding doctors who accept insurance, lack of insurance coverage, and health disparities. Notably, black women have a 38% higher mortality rate from breast cancer than white women and less access to care. Shumpert expressed gratitude to outgoing President John Gwin, who led the organization over the past two years and prepared it for future growth.
Under her leadership, Shumpert outlined three primary goals: expand the network of breast and plastic surgeons to assist more patients, increase funding from donors, and continue partnership with Northwestern University to increase funding and education activities helping black women access care. She emphasized that BRAVE will continue providing essential resources to patients as a foundational goal. The BRAVE Coalition Foundation supports breast cancer survivors in reshaping their recovery regardless of insurance, socio-economic status, education level, or race. For more information or to donate, visit www.bravecoalition.org.
