Herbek Award Winner Helps See, Test & Treat Take Hold in Houston

In 2011, Dina R. Mody, MD, FCAP, the medical director of cytopathology at Houston Methodist Hospital, and other faculty members were approached to host a See, Test & Treat® program. The CAP Foundation initiative provides free cervical and breast cancer screenings to underserved women across the United States with prompt results, follow-up care, and education. At the time, Dr. Mody did not know the impact the program would have on her community, but she thought it was worth doing.

Dina R. Mody, MD, FCAP

“Although the United States is the land of plenty, there are still many underserved amongst us who do not have cervical cancer, breast cancer, and other screening services available to them,” Dr. Mody said.

She led her first See, Test & Treat program in January of 2012 at Southwest Multiservice Center, a local community center in Houston. In partnership with a local Latina organization, “Dia de la Mujer Latina,” the program provided breast and cervical cancer screenings along with culturally appropriate health education to a primarily Spanish-speaking community, serving over 187 patients.

Since that first event, Dr. Mody has been a pioneer and advocate for See, Test & Treat. Working with a team of volunteers from Houston Methodist Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Houston-based BioReference Laboratories, she and her colleagues have spearheaded several See, Test & Treat programs, collectively serving over 1,000 women in the Houston community.

Her work with the program has garnered her this year’s Gene and Jean Herbek Humanitarian Award. A past president of the CAP, Gene N. Herbek, MD, FCAP, brought the first See, Test & Treat program to Native American women in South Dakota in 2001. His wife, Jean, shares his commitment to women’s health. Their namesake award was introduced in 2011 and honors See, Test & Treat leaders who have made innovative and unique contributions to advance the program. Recipients must be nominated in order to receive consideration.

In her nomination application, Carol Robazetti, MD, CCRC, a member of the CAP Foundation Board of Directors, explained how Dr. Mody’s leadership drove the expansion of the See, Test & Treat program in Texas.

“Not only was she instrumental in gaining and retaining support of clinical partners, processing services, and resources, she also inspired others to move forward and institute their own See, Test & Treat programs,” Dr. Robazetti said.

Dr. Mody will accept the Herbek Humanitarian award on behalf of Team Houston Methodist Hospital and BioReference Laboratories at CAP19, where she hopes to inspire others to get involved in See, Test & Treat.

“You don’t have to go far to change lives. Charity begins at home, and through the See, Test & Treat program, the CAP Foundation epitomizes that philosophy,” Dr. Mody said. “We need all of you in order to fulfill this mission.”