Dr. Paula Denitto, local physician, and Dr. Ingrid Hall, Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control On Thursday, February 26, 2009 from 11:30- 1:30pm, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Macro International Inc. hosted an Appreciation Luncheon to honor breast cancer survivors and Health Care Professionals participating in the African American Women and Mass Media (AAMM) Pilot Campaign.

The AAMM Appreciation Luncheon was coordinated by Cumulus Media and held at the Mulberry Inn in downtown Savannah, Georgia. The event was attended by the breast cancer survivors participating in the campaign, several members of the medical, faith, and general Savannah community.

The AAMM is a multifaceted awareness campaign designed to inform African American women aged 40- 64 about the importance of mammography screening in the early detection of breast cancer.

Dr. Ashani Johnson-Turbes (Macro International, Inc.) kicked off the Appreciation Luncheon by welcoming all attendees and introducing the event's keynote speaker Dr. Ingrid Hall (CDC). Dr. Hall is an Epidemiologist at CDC and the Principal Investigator leading implementation and evaluation of the AAMM.

During her presentation, Dr. Hall described the goal of the AAMM pilot campaign to inform women about the availability of lowor no-cost mammography services through the Breast Test & More Program at their local health department.

Dr. Hall and Yasmine Zavahir (Macro International Inc.) presented breast cancer survivors and health professionals having participated in the AAMM pilot campaign's radio ads and live shows with Appreciation Certificates and roses.

The AAMM in Savannah is a collaborative venture of the Georgia Department of Human Resources (GA DHR), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the African American Health Information Resource Center at St. Joseph's/Candler Hospital, and the Sisters Network.