New York, NY, October 8, 2015 — Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. and Fran Drescher’s organization Cancer Schmancer are partnering for the first annual Women’s Health Summit in Los Angeles on Tuesday, October 13, to empower women to take charge of their health, their bodies and their environment. As one of the Summit’s main events, world-renowned cancer authority Dr. Tamar Peretz, Director of Hadassah’s Sharett Institute of Oncology in Jerusalem and Interim Director General of the Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO), will speak about the groundbreaking work on cancer research being done at HMO in Jerusalem, Israel.  The 1-day conference will take place at The Skirball Center in Los Angeles, CA.

“Hadassah has been a leader in women’s health advocacy for over a century, so our mission is perfectly aligned with Cancer Schmancer’s efforts to provide women with the information they need to make smart choices about their health,” said Marcie Natan, National President of Hadassah. “Hadassah is proud to be a presenting sponsor of the first annual Women’s Health Summit and to have Dr. Peretz share her expertise on cancer prevention and treatment.”

Dr. Peretz leads the team whose genetic research and clinical studies have led to groundbreaking breast cancer discoveries on BRCA1 gene mutations in the Ashkenazi community and new prevention, diagnosis and treatment approaches. HMO is a renowned laboratory for medical research, and offers treatment to a diverse, worldwide patient population.

During the Women’s Health Summit, experts will speak about a variety of topics, including detoxing the home, nutrition, positive thinking, and empowerment. Dr. Peretz will speak on a breast cancer panel with Dr. Kristi Funk, Board-Certified Breast Cancer Surgeon and Co-Founder of the Pink Lotus Breast Center in Beverly Hills and Deborah Wright, Founder and Chair of A Vision of Health, a non-profit dedicated to providing the highest quality breast cancer screening and prevention services to women of Southern California.

“As a cancer survivor herself, Fran has turned her pain into purpose and speaks firsthand to the importance of women taking charge of their health and lives,” said Dr. Peretz. “We share that goal at Hadassah, where our cutting-edge research is regularly leading to new discoveries that are advancing women’s health. By bringing together doctors, experts, and survivors of cancer and other serious illnesses, the Women’s Health Summit is helping to elevate the discourse around wellness and prevention, and providing the tools for women to make a difference for themselves, their families and their communities.”

Other speakers at the event include Prevention magazine Executive Editor Olessa Pindak, Dr. Stephen B. Gruber of the University of South Carolina’s Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Ken Cook, President of the Environmental Working Group, among many others.  Senator Barbara Boxer will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for making comprehensive women’s healthcare a priority and a reality and Comedian, Actress and Author Rosie O’Donnell will receive the Empowerment through Comedy Award for her women’s heart health activism.

For more information, visit http://www.cancerschmancer.org/whs/.