As part of our mission to transform cancer care, we are proud to support patients and caregivers within our extended community through programming and events both in and out of the office. 

This September, in honor of ovarian cancer awareness month, members of our team came together to learn, connect and have meaningful conversations with each other and the ovarian cancer community.  

Foundation Medicine employees came together on September 10, 2023, for the second year in a row, to participate in the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition’s (NOCC) Together in TEAL walk in South Boston. Together in TEAL, which celebrated its 25th anniversary of the New England event this year, brings participants together to raise money for NOCC’s mission towards preventing and curing ovarian cancer. With our employee participation doubling from last year, Foundation Medicine proudly sponsored this year’s event and the continued hope for a future in which no one loses their life to ovarian cancer.

Surrounded by runners, walkers, and an immense sense of hope, employees from all different departments at Foundation Medicine helped contribute to and support this strong community.

Greg, Mgr, External Communications, also participated in Together in TEAL for his second year. “This year's Together in TEAL event brought out a bunch of colleagues, partners, friends and family members in support of the ovarian cancer community. The rain held off and it was a lovely morning for a walk around the beach in South Boston. Being able to get out into the community at walks and events like this really ties back to the work we all do at Foundation Medicine each and every day. I am so glad that I had the privilege and honor to be at the walk this year”, Greg stated.  

Joyce, Program Manager, Corporate Program Management Office, and her mother Kathy, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the fall of 2016, participated in the event together again this year.

In preparation for the event, Foundation Medicine held a virtual lunch & learn session in partnership with our UPLIFT (Unleashing the Potential, Leadership and Impact of Female Talent) employee resource network. In this session, Joyce and Kathy were joined by Danielle, New England Regional Manager at NOCC, and Sonja, Associate Dir, Medical Science Liaison at Foundation Medicine for a discussion focused on ovarian cancer awareness. Sharing their knowledge and their professional and personal experiences with ovarian cancer, this session aimed to educate and bring awareness to this disease, while supplying employees with information and tools, and bringing attention to NOCC’s four pillars that their initiatives support: early awareness, quality of life, research and community outreach.

Kathy shared a bit about her experience with ovarian cancer and about advocating for herself prior to her diagnosis in 2016, and the treatments, trials and medication that she’s experienced, along with what her new normal has looked like since then. She also talked about the changes she’s seen now as a person living with ovarian cancer compared to during her career in nuclear medicine. “Education and research I think are the most valuable things to learn” Kathy mentioned when reflecting on her experiences.  

Joyce, in her response to being a caregiver for her mother, mentioned how thankful she is for the Foundation Medicine community.

Community involvement is one of the many ways that Foundation Medicine continues our mission to transform cancer care. We strive for a continuous effort to build our culture and live our values: patients, passion, collaboration and innovation.

You can find our blog post and read about last year’s Together in TEAL event here.