A Note from the CEO

Dear Friends,

As 2023 comes to a close I can say with near certainty that it has been VAX 2 STOP CANCER's most exciting year yet. Because of your tremendous support we have now trained 330 provides and staff at 80 practices in 27 Alabama counties through our pediatric program and reached over a million people through our online public awareness campaigns. Not only that, we have launched our dental provider training and expanded our staff. Emily Gardner joined us in August as our first Program Assistant and in October, after Veronica Wehby-Upchurch took a position with another organization, Betsy Fetner joined us as our new Program and Communications Manager. You can get to know more about Betsy below.

In October, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the National HPV Vaccination Roundtable Annual Meeting. This gathering of  172 attendees from 110 partner organizations was a wonderful chance to learn new strategies and share our own successes with organizations across the country that are also dedicated to positively impacting HPV vaccination rates in the United States and around the world. I was inspired by what I learned and proud to share the work that we are doing at V2SC.

I am so excited for all that lies ahead for our staff and board of directors and I am so very thankful for supporters like you. Your contributions are necessary for our goal of creating an HPV cancer free future for the children of Alabama. This is a critical time for vaccines, especially the HPV vaccine. As vaccination hesitancy continues to rise, we need your support more than ever. Please consider making an end of year gift to to arm providers with the best strategies for recommending the vaccine and counseling hesitant parents about the HPV cancer vaccine.

With Gratitude,

Barbara S. Schuler

CEO and Founder

Your gift to VAX 2 STOP CANCER will prevent HPV cancers in Alabama.

Program Update

Board Member Spotlight

Leigh Anne Hodge

VAX 2 STOP CANCER Board Member

Leigh Anne is a Partner at Bradley, where she serves as the firm's Litigation Practice Group Leader. Leigh Anne previously had a career in nursing, working in the Labor and Delivery unit at St. Vincent's Hospital

Why did you join the board?

I joined the Board to promote women's health issues. I have two daughters and two granddaughters. We have the ability through HPV vaccines to eradicate cervical and other HPV-associated cancers. I wanted to be part of a team that promotes that message and that goal.

What does the mission of VAX 2 STOP CANCER mean to you?

Most types of cancer cannot be eradicated. Lifestyle and diet changes can reduce, but not eliminate the risks. HPV-associated cancers can be entirely prevented and eradicated through the use of vaccines that have been available for years. We need to get HPV shots into more arms and improve the lives of the next generation of young women and men. I'm excited to be a part of the mission to expand vaccination rates.

What is the most rewarding part of being involved with V2SC?

The most rewarding part of being involved with V2SC is working the Board and team of individuals dedicated to eradicating HPV-associated cancers.

What do you want the public to know about V2SC?

Discuss HPV-related cancers with your friends and family. Please speak with your pediatrician about vaccines for your children. If you could prevent your child from developing cancer in the future, wouldn't you do it? You can prevent HPV-related cancers.

Leadership Update

Warner K. Huh, MD

We are so grateful to Dr. Huh for his contributions to VAX 2 STOP CANCER as a board member since 2020 and as the featured speaker at our inaugural  A Shot at Prevention luncheon. He is ending his tenure on the Board of Directors, but we are so pleased that he is transitioning to a new role as a Scientific Advisor.

Staff Spotlight

Betsy Fetner

VAX 2 STOP CANCER Program and Communications Manager

After graduating from the University of Alabama, Betsy spent many years in professional lay ministry in the Episcopal church before entering the nonprofit world. Most recently, she served as the Program Director for The Laura Crandall Brown Foundation.

Why did you want to work for VAX 2 STOP CANCER?

While at LCBF, I learned so much about gynecologic cancers and became very involved with survivors. The stories and struggles of women who had fought so hard to live were truly inspiring, but it was heartbreaking to see young women whose lives could have been saved if they had only been vaccinated against HPV. When I attended the very first Shot at Prevention luncheon, I knew that Vax 2 Stop Cancer was definitely an organization I wanted to be more involved in.

What does the mission of V2SC mean to you?

Having a daughter means that I am constantly concerned about her health and the health of her friends and future family. I see the mission of V2SC, raising HPV vaccination rates in our state, as our responsibility to prevent future cancer for our own children and all the children in the state of Alabama.

What is the most rewarding part of working at V2SC?

Knowing that the work that you are doing has the potential to save lives is truly the most rewarding part!

In the News

Ireland on track to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040

Describing HPV (Human papillomavirus) vaccination for girls and boys as a “game-changer”, Ireland’s Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has revealed that Dublin is on target to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 and is now in “a strong position to exceed the World Health Organisation [cervical cancer] global targets”. READ MORE

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