There’s a big difference between understanding a problem and doing something about it. There’s an even bigger difference between doing something and dedicating your life to solving a problem. Dr. Gina Villani, the newly appointed CEO of the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention in Harlem, is one of those rare people who make it their business to solve a problem-in this case, the disparity in survival rates for African-Americans with cancer.
“Early in my career, I worked at a hospital here in New York where you were treated one way if you had insurance and another way if you didn’t,” Villani said in a phone interview. “After that, I became very interested in health disparities.”
The fact that African-Americans have worse outcomes when they have a variety of diseases is nothing new, but the reason for these disparate outcomes is still the subject of much debate and research. Figuring out the reason why and doing something about it has been Villani’s life’s work, from her job as the associate director of the Queens Cancer Center, which offers cancer treatment to underserved communities, to her stint as the vice president of health and quality of life at the Urban League. Most recently, she served as the chief of the division of hematology and oncology at the Brooklyn Hospital Center.
When she saw that the Ralph Lauren Center was searching for a new CEO, she felt she had to take a chance.
“The Ralph Lauren Center has always been the model of serving minority communities. They treat patients with Medicaid or no insurance just like patients with private insurance,” Villani said of her new medical home. While the Lauren Center has been quietly doing great work, its new CEO wants to reengage with the Harlem community and spread the word about what they have to offer.
“It’s sort of lost its buzz in the community,” she added. “I have to get back out into the community and make sure all the local doctors know we are here.”
As part of her new job, Villani plans to increase awareness about the need for testing and early detection when it comes to cancer. Many common cancers, like breast and prostate cancers, have very high survival rates when caught early.
“It’s not just about treating cancer; it’s about prevention. We’re going to expand that,” she said of her new job. “We treat uninsured patients. If you need a colonoscopy, you can come here and you won’t be billed.”
In the fight against cancer in the Harlem community, a longtime ally has a new and excited leader.
The Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention is located at 1919 Madison Ave., with its entrance on 124th Street. For more information, please call (212) 987-1777 or visit www.ralphlaurencenter.org.
