Alexandria, Va., Dec. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Prevent Cancer Foundation® today announces Jody Hoyos has been named Chief Executive Officer as Carolyn “Bo” Aldigé transitions into a Founder role. Ms. Hoyos has been with the organization since December 2018 and has served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Prevent Cancer Foundation since March 2021. The Prevent Cancer Foundation is extremely grateful for Ms. Aldigé’s continued support and commitment to cancer prevention and early detection. She and the Foundation congratulate Ms. Hoyos on her new role.
Ms. Aldigé founded the organization in 1985 after the death of her father to cancer one year prior. She cites this experience as her inspiration for starting the Prevent Cancer Foundation and leading the organization for 37 years. For the past four years, she has worked with Ms. Hoyos to provide new direction and vision for the Foundation.
“With Jody at the helm, along with Board Chairman Bill Magner, I have no doubt the Foundation will remain as productive, creative, nimble and robust during the next 37 years as it has been for the previous 37,” Ms. Aldigé said. “I remain committed as ever to the Prevent Cancer Foundation and its mission, and I look forward to working with Jody, our outstanding board and staff and our supporters to continue our leadership in saving lives across all populations through cancer prevention and early detection.”
Under the auspices of Ms. Hoyos as CEO, the Foundation enters a new era of innovation in cancer prevention and early detection well-positioned to be a leader in this space and an advocate for people.
“We are in an exciting time of innovation and are united to ensure that information about and access to prevention and early detection tools—which can help people live longer, healthier lives—are reaching everyone who needs them.” said Ms. Hoyos. “We are committed to shifting the power from cancer to people. Detecting cancer early or preventing it altogether takes its power away.”
The Foundation also announces the election of three new board members: Susan Ahlquist, Heide Bajnrauh and Sonia Sahney, and the return to active director status of two previous board members: Lynne O’Brien and Sharon Cook. Their terms will begin on January 1, 2023. The Prevent Cancer Foundation is proud to welcome these accomplished individuals into their new roles.
Susan Ahlquist spent her career in health care at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Her clinical nursing experience includes helping start the first Medical Oncology unit at Mayo Clinic and serving as Evening Supervisor for all medical units of an 800-bed hospital. Ms. Ahlquist has also served in roles such as Director of Patient and Health Education and Designated Institutional Administrator for the School of Graduate Medical Education. Ms. Ahlquist is passionate about issues of equity and inclusion. She has served and currently serves in leadership roles such as chairing the Board of Directors for the fourteen county Channel One Food Bank. She led strategic planning efforts that have broadened the mission to include food security for all and food as an essential element of health outcomes. She currently chairs the Olmsted County Human Services Advisory Board and supports multiple community-based organizations and initiatives.
Ms. Ahlquist’s life has been integrally touched and impacted by the life work of her late husband David Ahlquist, who spent his career as a physician scientist pursuing a vision of a stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer early detection. The work and direction of the Prevent Cancer Foundation align with Dr. Ahlquist’s vision and Ms. Ahlquist’s passions and experience and she is committed to contributing to its continued success.
Heide Bajnrauh is a senior policy advisor at Akin Gump, working extensively on regulatory and congressional issues involving health policy in the public and private sectors. She advises clients on regulatory reform and reimbursement strategies involving coding, coverage and payment for medical device companies, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, providers and national health care associations. Ms. Bajnrauh advocates in Congress and the administration, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and provides strategic advice to clients to meet their business objectives and impact public policy.
Previously, Ms. Bajnrauh served as the director of Reimbursement Services for Aequitas, a health economics firm in San Diego, Calif. She also worked at two health care trade associations—the California Healthcare Institute and the Healthcare Leadership Council— focused on advocating for health care reform and the continued success of the medical device, pharmaceutical and biotech sectors.
Sonia Sahney is the chief marketing officer for GE Healthcare’s global Molecular Imaging and Computed Tomography (MICT) business unit, the largest portfolio in GE Healthcare. She is responsible for creating and accelerating the multi-billion-dollar unit’s marketing strategy, overseeing all aspects of MICT’s marketing, long-term strategy, customer experience and product launches across more than two dozen product lines.
Prior to her work at GE Healthcare, Ms. Sahney served in multiple diagnostic imaging equipment sales, marketing, and leadership roles, overseeing CT sales and marketing across Canada, before stepping into a global marketing director position. Ms. Sahney has a strong cultural competence leading global teams and is a dynamic public speaker, team motivator and champion for diversity and women’s leadership.
Returning to the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s board of directors is former board member Sharon Cook, Founder and President of OLE Three Consulting. Ms. Cook brings over thirty years of broad experience in fixed income capital markets and financial services regulation and is delighted to be returning to the board to focus on cancer prevention and early detection.
Board member Lynne O’Brien is moving from sustaining director to director. A cancer survivor, Ms. O’Brien is passionate about cancer prevention, especially protecting herself and others from the potentially harmful effects of the sun’s rays. A self-described waterwoman, she has launched and leads Line in the Sand, a brand of sun protective clothing and other products.
Each of these individuals, along with the entire board, plays an integral role in the success of the Foundation’s mission of saving lives across all populations through cancer prevention and early detection.
###
About the Prevent Cancer Foundation®
The Prevent Cancer Foundation® is the only U.S. nonprofit organization focused solely on saving lives across all populations through cancer prevention and early detection. Through research, education, outreach and advocacy, we have helped countless people avoid a cancer diagnosis or detect their cancer early enough to be successfully treated.
The Foundation is rising to meet the challenge of reducing cancer deaths by 40% by 2035. To achieve this, we are committed to investing $20 million for innovative technologies to detect cancer early and advance multi-cancer screening, $10 million to expand cancer screening and vaccination access to medically underserved communities, and $10 million to educate the public about screening and vaccination options.
For more information, please visit www.preventcancer.org.
Attachment
