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Dr. Vivian J. Bea, an expert in breast cancer disparities, has been named section chief of breast surgical oncology at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. She also serves as an assistant professor of surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine.

“Dr. Bea is a gifted surgeon who is deeply committed to patients, the underserved, and eliminating breast cancer disparities through research and health initiatives,” said Robert Guimento, president of NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. “We are delighted that she will be leading the hospital’s breast surgical oncology program, and providing our patients with exceptional care.”

In her new role, Dr. Bea will strive to reduce breast cancer disparities in the Brooklyn community through education and outreach. Her goal is to reduce breast cancer mortality through community education, early screening and detection, and access to NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital’s multidisciplinary breast cancer treatment center. She has already begun engaging the community through the development of culturally competent educational and training programs about breast cancer risk and prevention.

“An esteemed breast surgeon, Dr. Bea has dedicated her career to ensuring the best outcomes for her patients by providing the highest quality care that features all of the cutting-edge advances in managing benign as well as malignant diseases of the breast,” said Dr. Lisa Newman, chief of the section of breast surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. “We are excited to welcome her to Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian.”

“I am thrilled to be joining NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital,” Dr. Bea said. “There are disparities in our communities that lead to different health outcomes based on one’s race, genetics, income and access to care. Because African American women are often diagnosed at later stages in the disease, their breast cancer mortality rates are 40 percent higher than white women. By prioritizing education, outreach, early diagnosis and multi-disciplinary treatment, we can save lives.”

Most recently, Dr. Bea was a breast surgical oncologist in the Division of Breast Surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper in Camden, New Jersey. Prior to that, she served as a clinical specialist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where she completed her fellowship in breast surgical oncology. She completed her residency and internship in general surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

Recognized as a rising star and top physician in her field, Dr. Bea was selected as one of the 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health by the National Minority Quality Forum for her dedication to community outreach and breast cancer disparities research. She was also recognized by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Conquer Cancer Foundation, and received the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Minority Scholar in Cancer Research Award. She is a member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, the National Medical Association, the American Association of Cancer Research, and the Arnold P. Gold Humanism Honor Society of the American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Bea is also the founder of Girls Loving OurSelves Successfully (G.L.O.S.S.), a mentoring program for underrepresented middle and high school girls, and a children’s book author.

About NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital:

NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital has been providing outstanding medical care to the surrounding communities for over 135 years. Located in Park Slope, Brooklyn, the 591-bed teaching hospital, in collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine, provides specialized services in advanced and minimally invasive surgery, neurosciences, orthopedics, digestive and liver disorders, and cancer and cardiac care. The Hospital’s Emergency Department provides separate areas for adult and pediatric patients, as well as a separate women-only area. More than 5,000 babies are delivered annually in the Hospital’s Department of Maternal Child Health. The Hospital houses Centers of Excellence for bariatric surgery and breast imaging, a cancer program accredited by the Commission on Cancer, and a New York State-designated stroke center. NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital is a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Regional Hospital Network. For more information or to find a physician, please call 718-499-2273 or visit nyp.org/brooklyn.

About Weill Cornell Medicine

Weill Cornell Medicine is committed to excellence in patient care, scientific discovery and the education of future physicians in New York City and around the world. The doctors and scientists of Weill Cornell Medicine — faculty from Weill Cornell Medical College, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and Weill Cornell Physician Organization—are engaged in world-class clinical care and cutting-edge research that connect patients to the latest treatment innovations and prevention strategies. Located in the heart of the Upper East Side's scientific corridor, Weill Cornell Medicine's powerful network of collaborators extends to its parent university Cornell University; to Qatar, where Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar offers a Cornell University medical degree; and to programs in Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Weill Cornell Medicine faculty provide comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian Queens and NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. Weill Cornell Medicine is also affiliated with Houston Methodist. For more information, visit weill.cornell.edu.