Coral Springs Doctors Run For Breast Cancer Awareness

By Nicol Jenkins
Editor

Crossing the finish line, Dr. Mark Schachner and Dr. David Silver felt triumphant.
With each step, the duo raised money to provide mammograms to women who cannot afford them. 
With breast cancer rates on the rise and an increase in the uninsured, the two doctors from Coral Springs Medical Center co-founded the annual Race for Women’s Wellness, which is now in its third year.

Dr. Mark Shachner, medical director of the Women’s Diagnostic & Wellness Center, and Dr. David Silver, a gastrointestinal and internal medicine physician, envisioned helping local women get the care they need.

“There are too many women in need of proper breast care from start to finish, but fall short because of lack of financial means. We wanted to care for our women locally so they don’t have to go to the other side of town to a clinic,” said Dr. Shachner. “Though cancer is most common in women over 50, even women in their 20s get the disease, and we wanted this event to bring awareness of the need for women to get screened.”

More than 300 residents participated in the recent 5K walk/run, which started and finished at the Coral Springs Medical Center.
“It’s one of the few races that run through the town. Also, there was a lot of support from hospital staff,” said Dr. Schachner.

The 3.1 mile run raised more than $12,000 to provide free mammograms, breast imaging and biopsies to women who cannot afford them. Proceeds from the race went to the Lisa Boccard Fund. Coral Springs Vice Mayor Vincent Boccard and his wife Terry created the fund to honor his sister, Lisa Boccard, and her fight against breast cancer. The Boccard family teamed up with Coral Springs Medical Center’s Women’s Diagnostic & Wellness Center to ensure that women in financial need receive proper breast medical care. Dr. Schachner said fundraising has helped about 40 women so far and hopes to reach more.
“We’re working on our next race and looking for sponsors,” he said.