First Lady Pool Reports of June 23, 2022

FLOTUS Pool Report #1

Hello,

I am Stephany Matat, political reporter with the Palm Beach Post, and your pool reporter for today's visit to West Palm Beach by First Lady Jill Biden.

The first lady arrived at Palm Beach International Airport at 3:10 p.m.

Background From The Office Of The First Lady

Today, the First Lady and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm will visit FoundCare, Inc., a non-profit federally qualified health center in West Palm Beach, Florida, that offers breast and cervical cancer screening and patient navigation through its partnership with Ambassador Nancy Brinker's Promise Fund of Florida. The First Lady's visit to West Palm Beach is part of the Biden Administration's Cancer Moonshot initiative and will highlight the importance of private sector commitments and public-private collaboration in the effort to end cancer as we know it. The Promise Fund of Florida, co-founded and led by Ambassador Brinker, partners with community-based health centers, like FoundCare, to improve access to breast and cervical cancer screenings and provide patient navigation for women with breast or cervical cancer. In May 2022, the White House announced that the Promise Fund of Florida responded to the Cancer Moonshot's call to action by committing to double its reach in 2022 to serve over 30,000 women in South Florida.

The First Lady, Deputy Secretary Palm, Congresswoman Lois Frankel (D, FL-21), Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D, FL-20), and Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D, FL-24) will land at Palm Beach International Airport, where they will be greeted by Mayor Keith James (D, City of West Palm Beach).

Upon arrival at FoundCare, Inc., the First Lady and Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm will participate in a greet with Ambassador Nancy Brinker; Chris Irizzary, Chief Executive Officer at FoundCare; Dr. David Dodson, Internal Medicine Physician and FoundCare Board Member and Promise Fund of Florida Board Member; and Jennifer Meade, Division President for Breast and Skeletal Health Solutions at Hologic, Inc. Ambassador Brinker will provide a briefing on the Promise Fund of Florida and its partnership with FoundCare. After, they will take a tour of FoundCare, led by Ambassador Brinker and FoundCare's Chief Executive Officer. The group will first visit FoundCare's Promise Fund of Florida Mammography Screening Center to view a 3D mammography machine, which was donated by Hologic, Inc. Using the mammography machine, FoundCare provides breast and cervical screening to women on a sliding fee scale, based on their ability to pay. According to the Promise Fund of Florida, since the 3D mammography machine's installation, screening rates of patients at FoundCare Palm Springs have increased from 10% to nearly 60%. After that, the group will proceed upstairs to greet with and thank two FoundCare nurses and two Promise Fund patient navigators.

After the tour, they will depart to the speaking program venue, where the First Lady will deliver remarks to invited guest including: civic, business, faith, and health care leaders, as well as health care workers. During the program, Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm will give remarks and introduce Congresswoman Frankel. Congresswoman Lois Frankel (D, FL-21) will give remarks and introduce Mami Kisner. Mami Kisner, the First Lady of the Historic Baptist Tabernacle Church, will give remarks and then announce The First Lady, Liliana Herrera, and Ambassador Brinker to stage together. Ambassador Brinker will give remarks, and then introduce Liliana Herrera. Liliana Herrera, a two-time breast cancer survivor and Promise Fund patient navigator, will give remarks and introduce the First Lady. The First Lady will then give remarks.

Traveling with the First Lady
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm
Anthony Bernal, Senior Advisor
Jordan Montoya, Senior Aide
Mala Adiga Policy, Director
Michael LaRosa, Press Secretary
Marty Browne, Trip Director
Kelsey Donohue, Deputy Comms. Director
Erin Scott, Photographer
Melanie Duran, Videographer

FLOTUS Pool Report #2

First Lady Jill Biden departed Palm Beach International Airport at 3:27 p.m. with Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm as well as U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach, and U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami Gardens.

Next stop: A tour of tour FoundCare Palm Springs, a women's health center that offers breast and cervical cancer screenings with the support of the Promise Fund of Florida.

FLOTUS Pool Report #3

First Lady Jill Biden arrived at FoundCare Palm Springs at 3:38 p.m.

The first lady will tour the nonprofit's facility. In May 2022, the White House announced that the Promise Fund of Florida, which supports FoundCare, responded to the Biden administration's Cancer Moonshot call to action by committing to double its reach in 2022 to serve over 30,000 women in South Florida.

In addition to Frankel and Wilson, U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Delray Beach, and Mayor Keith James of West Palm Beach, are with the first lady.

FLOTUS Pool Report #4

First Lady Jill Biden concluded her tour ofFoundCare Palm Springs at 4:01 p.m.

During her visit, the first lady saw the center's mammography screening center. She then spoke with nurses and patient navigators at the center, where she heard stories about cancer survivors.

The first lady is now headed to the West Palm Beach Hilton where she will deliver remarks about the administration's cancer initiative.

FLOTUS Pool Report #5

First Lady Jill Biden arrived at the Hilton West Palm Beach at 4:12 p.m. to deliver remarks on the Biden administration's Cancer Moonshot initiative.

FLOTUS Pool Report #6

First Lady Jill Biden has concluded her remarks.

"Cancer changes everyone it touches and in some ways it touches us all," Biden said. She then added: "We need to fight this disease, not each other."

HHS Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm said: "We are heeding the call from President Biden and the first lady to use every lever at our disposal to end cancer as we know it."

U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel said: "Today is about highlighting collaboration."

Promise Fund co-founder Nancy Brinker said there are 80,000 to 100,000 women in Palm Beach County needing health care, "Where a woman lives shouldn't determine whether she lives," Brinker said.

Two-time breast cancer survivor and navigator Liliana Herrera called for more efforts to provide cancer diagnostics and treatment to women in need. "Health care disparity still exists today," she said.

FLOTUS Pool Report #7

A lid has been called on First Lady Jill Biden's visit to West Palm Beach.

FLOTUS Pool Report #8

Recap of First Lady Jill Biden's visit to West Palm Beach on Thursday, June 23.

Saying cancer cares not about political partisanship, first lady Jill Biden lauded the Biden administration's Cancer Moonshot initiative during a speech Thursday in West Palm Beach.

"It's not a red or blue issue. It's an American issue. It's a global issue," the first lady said in an appeal for unity on an issue she says impacts all Americans in one form or another. "It will take all of us to end cancer as we know it."

The Cancer Moonshot's goal is to reduce by 50% the number of annual deaths caused by the feared disease within the next 25 years, Biden told the gathering. It involves providing equal access to diagnostic and treatment as well as funding innovative cures and assistance to patients.

"Cancer changes everyone it touches and in some ways it touches us all," Biden said.

Then she added: "We need to fight this disease, not each other."

The first lady's arrival at Palm Beach International Airport was the start of a two-day visit that will also include attending a memorial ceremony Friday inSurfside to mark the one-year anniversary of the collapse of a condominium complex.

Biden flew to West Palm Beach with Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm as well as U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach, U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami Gardens, and U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Delray Beach. They were met on the PBIA tarmac by West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James.

The first lady then traveled by motorcade to FoundCare, a center that offers healthcare and social services to individuals and families with the support of the Promise Fund of Florida.

There, Biden, along with Palm, met with the nonprofit's leaders as well as nurses and navigators, workers who help and support cancer patients through the ordeal of treatment and finances. That was followed by the first lady's Cancer Moonshot speech at the West Palm Beach Hilton.