A community outreach worker from Moffitt Cancer Center will be honored Tuesday by President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. for improving public health in Tampa Bay's Hispanic community. Myriam Escobar is one of eight people who will be recognized as a "Champion of Change" at the White House ceremony. The White House website will have a live stream at 10 a.m.
Escobar leads the group "Yo me cuido," which means "I take care of myself." The Obama administration said her outreach efforts are helping improve public health by focusing on wellness and prevention.
"Many of these ladies don't speak English, so just when we go and speak their own language, they feel like they have an open door," Escobar said.She said "Yo me cuido" has reached about 2,000 women around Tampa Bay. Escobar said nearly half of the women over 40 the program has educated have gotten mammography screenings.
"I'm really proud of my job because it gives me the opportunity to meet everyday, everyday women who go to work, and have families, they have children," Escobar said. "For me, it's very important just to give them hope, give them the news that they can have a mammogram."
Sharing information about prevention is especially important to Escobar because five years ago, her sister-in-law died from breast cancer.
"She died just because she didn't pay attention to the symptoms," Escobar said.