The BRAVE (Breast Restoration AdVocacy Education) Coalition Foundation has appointed Lisa Shumpert as the new President of its Executive Board, effective immediately. Shumpert, who previously served as Chief Human Resources Officer at Comar and authored the bestselling book Team Turnaround - Spark High Performance in Your Direct Reports, succeeds John Gwin, who led the organization for two years. The appointment signals a strategic move to leverage Shumpert's HR and leadership expertise to address persistent gaps in breast reconstruction care for cancer survivors.
Founded in 2012 by Dr. Allen Gabriel and Dr. Christine Grogan, the BRAVE Coalition Foundation focuses on educating breast cancer survivors about reconstruction options, advocating for legislative and insurance industry changes, connecting patients with resources, and restoring quality of life regardless of insurance, socio-economic status, education level, or race. Despite the Women's Health Cancer Rights Act of 1988 (WHCRA), patients continue facing substantial challenges, including difficulty finding doctors who accept insurance, lack of insurance coverage, and health disparities where black women experience a 38% higher mortality rate than white women with less access to care.
Under Shumpert's leadership, the foundation aims to expand its network of breast and plastic surgeons to assist more patients, increase funding from donors, and continue its partnership with Northwestern University to enhance funding and education activities specifically helping black women access care. Shumpert emphasized that providing essential resources to patients will remain a foundational goal for the organization. For HR vendors, this appointment underscores the growing intersection between corporate leadership and healthcare advocacy. Shumpert's background in human resources suggests a focus on operational efficiency and strategic growth, which could influence how the foundation partners with employers and insurers to improve care access. The foundation's work may also impact employee benefits strategies, as breast reconstruction coverage remains a critical yet underutilized benefit under WHCRA.
The BRAVE Coalition Foundation's mission aligns with broader trends in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in healthcare, particularly addressing racial disparities. HR vendors should monitor this development as it may signal increased demand for benefits consulting that addresses healthcare equity and patient advocacy. The foundation's partnership with Northwestern University highlights the role of academic institutions in driving research and education, potentially creating opportunities for vendor collaboration in data analytics or patient outreach. More information about the foundation's work is available at https://www.bravecoalition.org.
