Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Natchez

09/27/2025

🩺 Take the next step toward protecting your health.

Cancer is most treatable when caught early — and we’re bringing FREE SCREENINGS straight to your community to help make that possible. Whether it’s your first screening or you’re a screening pro, we’re here for you. 💛

Upcoming Screening Dates:

📍GONZALES: Jambalaya Park, October 4 at 9 a.m. – Breast, colorectal, prostate, and skin

Don’t wait — screenings are free, easy and potentially life-saving. 🎗️

🔗 Visit marybird.com/get-screened to learn more.

09/26/2025

Live Well Ascension is next week! ✨

Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is proud to partner with the Gonzales Area Foundation to bring this free community health event to the Ascension Parish community.

📅 Saturday, October 4 | ⏰ 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
📍 Jambalaya Park, 1015 E Cornerview Street, Gonzales
🩺 Screenings available: Breast, Colorectal, Prostate & Skin Cancer

The event is free, but screening appointments are required. Call (225) 425-8034 or visit pogo.marybird.com to schedule your screening.

Early detection saves lives. Don’t miss this opportunity to take charge of your health! 🙌

More info: https://bit.ly/3Iy0pZK

09/25/2025

🎀✂️ A New Chapter for Cancer Care in Ascension Parish!

This week, we celebrated the ribbon-cutting of the newly expanded Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Gonzales!

Thanks to the incredible support of the Ascension Parish community, this expansion brings:
✨ New chemotherapy and infusion bays so patients can receive more treatments close to home
✨ Enhanced technology including advanced radiation systems and diagnostic imaging
✨ Additional space for patient support services and compassionate care

This milestone is more than a building, it’s a commitment to the thousands of patients and families in Ascension Parish who deserve world-class cancer care without leaving their community.

📸 Check out the photos and video highlights from this special day and learn more about what this expansion means for Ascension Parish in our latest blog:
👉https://marybird.org/blog/gonzales/in-gonzales-a-ribbon-cutting-months-in-the-making/

09/25/2025

💜 Thank you, Congresswoman Julia Letlow, for your support!

We are proud to officially offer oncology and hematology services, in partnership with Franklin Medical Center, bringing life-saving cancer care closer to home for patients in northeast Louisiana.

Through this new relationship, patients will receive care from Dr. Manish Dhawan and a dedicated oncology team, supported by Mary Bird Perkins’ multidisciplinary expertise, advanced technologies, and access to the latest research, ensuring world-class treatment is available right in Franklin Parish.

We are grateful to partner with Franklin Parish Medical Center to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer for the communities we serve.

📰 Read the full article below.

🙏 Thank you again, Congresswoman Julia Letlow, for your dedication to the people of your community and for championing access to care.

A new partnership between Franklin Parish Medical Center and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center works to enhance cancer care in Franklin Parish.

09/24/2025

💜 Make a Difference: Volunteer with Mary Bird Perkins!
At Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, volunteers are at the heart of our mission to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer. Whether you’re greeting patients, helping with events, or offering a comforting smile, your time makes a meaningful impact.

✨ Ways to Volunteer:
🔹 Core Volunteers: Provide guest services, clerical support, and a personal touch for patients (adults 18+, 4-hour weekly shift).
🔹 Event Volunteers: Help plan or assist at signature fundraising events (age 16+).
🔹 Student Volunteers: Gain service hours while supporting patients (18+, references required).
🔹 Survivor Volunteers: Share your journey to inspire and comfort others.

💻 Learn more and sign up today: marybird.org/volunteer

Together, we can create moments of comfort, hope, and healing for every patient we serve.

09/22/2025

💜 We’re proud to celebrate the incredible women leading the way in cancer care and beyond!

Recently, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, in partnership with Baton Rouge General Medical Center, hosted the Women in Medicine event. Nearly 70 female providers from across our community gathered to connect and hear from an inspiring panel of six specialists, including our own Dr. Mindy Bowie (breast surgical oncology) and Dr. Constance Blunt (hematology, medical oncology).

Members of the dynamic panel, which also featured Dr. Sarah Baker (colorectal surgery), Dr. Karalyn Bentley (bariatrics & general surgery), Dr. Shashi Gavini (cardiology), and Dr. Ayme Schmeeckle (urology), shared their journeys and insights, encouraging collaboration and empowering the next generation of women in medicine.

👏 We are grateful for Dr. Bowie, Dr. Blunt, and every provider who continues to inspire and champion better care for our patients.

09/20/2025

🩺 Take the next step toward protecting your health.

Cancer is most treatable when caught early — and we’re bringing FREE SCREENINGS straight to your community to help make that possible. Whether it’s your first screening or you’re a screening pro, we’re here for you. 💛

Upcoming Screening Dates:

📍HOUMA: Sam's Club, September 24 at 9 a.m. – Breast, colorectal and prostate
📍CENTREVILLE: Centreville Town Hall, September 25 at 9 a.m. – Breast, colorectal, skin and prostate
📍FRANKLINTON: Jack Brown's Food Store, September 26 at 9 a.m. – Breast, colorectal, and skin

Don’t wait — screenings are free, easy and potentially life-saving. 🎗️

🔗 Visit marybird.com/get-screened to learn more.

09/19/2025

Diversity in clinical trials isn’t just a statistic, it’s essential to ensuring research findings are relevant and equitable for every patient.

At Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, we are committed to rebuilding our clinical trials program from the ground up with diverse enrollment as a core priority. Under the leadership of Victor Lin, MD, PhD, medical director of Clinical Research and Genetics, we are taking concrete steps to expand access and improve representation, supported by a $400,000 grant from the Gilead Foundation.

📖 Read more about our approach and vision for the future in this Association of Cancer Care Centers Buzz feature:
👉 https://bit.ly/4ntebwh

About 85% of current participants in cancer clinical trials are White middle-class men. This lack of diversity results in findings that are not necessarily replicable to all patients.

Leaders at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center are addressing this disparity by rebuilding their clinical trials program from the ground up, with diverse enrollment a cornerstone of their philosophy.

To learn more about Mary Bird Perkins’ approach to clinical trials and the center’s plans for their $400,000 grant from the Gilead Foundation, ACCCBuzz spoke with Victor Lin, MD, PhD, medical director of Clinical Research and Genetics.

Read more at https://hubs.li/Q03JNSkx0

09/18/2025

We're rolling out a new way to say thanks. ❤️ Introducing our online Gratitude Gram Wall!

Every day at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, we witness extraordinary moments of compassion and strength. Now, you have a way to honor those who have impacted your cancer journey by sharing a few words of appreciation.

Patients, caregivers, and loved ones are invited to post messages of thanks, whether anonymously or signed with your name. Either way, your words can uplift and inspire others along the way.

✨ Visit our Gratitude Gram page to share your message: https://marybird.org/giving/gratitude-gram-wall

We thank you for recognizing the people who make a difference and spread joy and gratitude across our community.

09/17/2025

Free cancer screenings coming soon to a community near you! ✨🎉

Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center invites you to our Live Well this Fall — with free, family-friendly community health days where you can access cancer screenings and health resources.

Save your date!

📍 Live Well Ascension (Gonzales Area Foundation)
Oct. 4 • 9 AM – 1 PM • Jambalaya Park

📍 Live Well Northshore (Benjamin Blanchard Memorial Foundation)
Oct. 18 • 9 AM – 1 PM • Covington Trailhead

📍 Live Well Bayou
Nov. 1 • 9 AM – 1 PM • Terrebonne General Health System

🩺 Screenings include breast, colorectal, prostate and skin cancer. Additional health resources will be available onsite.

Appointments are required. Sign up today: pogo.marybird.com

Early detection through screenings saves lives—don’t miss your opportunity to take part in these important community events.

09/17/2025

We were proud to be out in the Opelousas community, connecting with local leaders at the Opelousas Kiwanis Club meeting to share how Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is working to expand access to early detection, education, and cancer care across Louisiana.

Special thanks to Renee Fontenot for representing Mary Bird Perkins and helping spark great conversations about how we can work together to lessen the burden of cancer in the region.

Thank you to the Opelousas Kiwanis Club for the warm welcome and for your commitment to building healthier communities. 💜

Opelousas General Health System

09/16/2025

✨ Tomorrow night in Covington: Together We Triumph Cancer Series ✨

Join us for a free evening of resources, expert insight, and community support for survivors, caregivers, and anyone impacted by cancer.

📅 TOMORROW, September 17
🍽 Dinner: 5:00 p.m. | Panel: 6:00 p.m.
📍 Greater Covington Center

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect and leave empowered to thrive beyond cancer.

RSVP here ➡ https://marybird.org/covington/cancer-series/

07/31/2025

🌟 Meet Natasha Gay, our newest nurse practitioner on the Prevention on the Go team!

A Baton Rouge native, Natasha has dedicated her career to helping others, a calling inspired by her own family’s health challenges. From her grandmother’s sudden passing to her mother’s battle with gastric cancer, Natasha knows first-hand how important early detection and compassionate care can be.

Now, she’s bringing screenings and education directly to communities across Louisiana and southwest Mississippi.

Read Natasha’s inspiring story in this week’s blog: https://bit.ly/4lSJFL8

07/24/2025

💈Our Fall 2025 Barbershop Bashes are coming to a community near you!

Mary Bird Perkins is bringing free prostate and colorectal cancer screenings, biometric checks, health vendors, food, and music straight to the barbershop, because taking care of your health should be easy.

📍Fall 2025 Dates and Locations:
📅 Baton Rouge – August 23 at Webb's Barbershop
📅 Morgan City – September 13 at Skinner's Barbershop
📅 Natchez, MS – November 15 at Don and Son's Barbershop
📅 Monroe – December 6 at Cloyd's Barber School

These events are free, fun, and focused on health. Bring your crew and take charge of your wellness!

🔗 Learn more at: marybird.org/barbershopbash

06/16/2025

🌸 Join us tomorrow as we celebrate cancer survivors at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Natchez!

📅 Tuesday, June 17, 2025
🕗 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
📍 133 Jeff Davis Blvd., Natchez, MS

Survivors and patients are invited to plant a flower in our Garden of Hope—a special space honoring strength, resilience, and healing. 🌱 Each guest will receive a flower to plant and a seed packet to start their own garden at home.

🌼 Refreshments will be provided. Come celebrate your journey with us!

06/12/2025

🌸 Join us next week as we celebrate cancer survivors at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Natchez!

📅 Tuesday, June 17, 2025
🕗 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
📍 133 Jeff Davis Blvd., Natchez, MS

Survivors and patients are invited to plant a flower in our Garden of Hope—a special space honoring strength, resilience, and healing. 🌱 Each guest will receive a flower to plant and a seed packet to start their own garden at home.

🌼 Refreshments will be provided. Come celebrate your journey with us!

06/12/2025

“They made my journey easier” – Chris Hitchens, colorectal cancer survivor, on Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s patient navigation program. From answering questions to helping coordinate care and break down barriers, our patient navigation team is 100% focused on helping cancer patients and their loved ones throughout treatment and survivorship.

To learn more, visit marybird.org/service/patient-navigation-and-social-services/.

05/29/2025

🌸 Join us this June as we celebrate cancer survivors at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Natchez!

📅 Tuesday, June 17, 2025
🕗 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
📍 133 Jeff Davis Blvd., Natchez, MS

Survivors and patients are invited to plant a flower in our Garden of Hope, a space created to honor strength, resilience, and healing. 🌱 Each participant will receive a flower to plant and a seed packet to grow a garden of their own at home.

🌼 Refreshments will be provided. Come celebrate your journey with us!

05/14/2025

It’s Oncology Nursing Month, and we had so much fun celebrating our incredible nurses in Natchez last week! ❤️

To each nurse, we thank you for your compassion, dedication, and endless support of our patients and their families. You are the heartbeat of our care. We appreciate you each and every day.

Drop a note of thanks in the comments to support our amazing nurses! 👏

04/24/2025

Did you join us at Live Well Mississippi? Share your photos! 🤳

Thank you to everyone who came out for a day of fun and health! Thanks to your participation, we completed 190 FREE CANCER SCREENINGS! 🎉

A special thank-you to our in-kind sponsors, MS Gulf Coast Coca-Cola and Treppendahl's Super Foods, for helping make this event possible! 🥤🌭

This is bringing life-saving services to our community. 👏

Missed this event? Don’t worry! We offer free screenings all year round. Visit marybird.org/get-screened to learn more and find a screening near you.
See you at the next Live Well!

12/29/2024

Make your year-end gift count! ✨ As 2024 comes to a close, you have the opportunity to bring hope, healing and life-changing care to those facing cancer. Your generosity will help support our mission to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer. Why Give Before December 31?

👉 Your donation will make a difference today for someone battling cancer.
👉 Year-end contributions may qualify for a tax deduction.
👉 Together, we can start 2025 with renewed hope and strength.

Every gift, no matter the size, makes an impact. Your gift will allow us to continue to provide cutting-edge treatment and compassionate care to every patient who needs us. Will you help us finish the year strong? Donate now at marybird.org/giving.

11/12/2024

11/06/2024

Join us on November 16 at Don's Barbershop for Barbershop Bash! Learn more: marybird.org/barbershopbash. 💈

💈Get ready for Barbershop Bash MS-LOU next weekend!💈

Join us in Natchez, Mississippi for free health screenings, wellness information, and community fun! ✂️

Don’s Barbershop
Saturday, November 16
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

A big thank you to the United Health Foundation for supporting this event. 💙 Get all the info at marybird.org/barbershopbash. We can’t wait to see you there!

10/25/2024