Parkland staff stars in 10th anniversary Medline Pink Glove Dance Video

Milestone project supports breast cancer awareness

DALLAS — Shall we dance? Hundreds of Parkland Health & Hospital System staff said ‘yes, if it supports breast cancer awareness and health,’ by taking part in the legendary Medline Pink Glove Dance video. The annual project has scored millions of views each year since its launch in 2009 to raise breast cancer awareness by uniting physicians, administrators, nurses, breast cancer survivors and community members through the joy of dancing – while sporting pink exam gloves.

This year, Parkland was invited by Medline to join a handful of hospitals across the country in a special anniversary Pink Glove Dance video that was unveiled last week at the 2019 ANCC National Magnet Conference in Orlando, the largest nursing conference in the U.S.

Because gloves are the first point of contact between the healthcare worker and patients, Medline, a global manufacturer and distributor of healthcare products, introduced the Generation Pink™ glove line in 2009 to get people talking openly about breast cancer.

For the past 10 years, the Pink Glove Dance video has fueled conversation worldwide about the critical need for breast cancer prevention. The original video featured nearly 200 workers from an Oregon hospital wearing Medline’s pink gloves and dancing in support of breast cancer awareness and prevention. Over the past decade, nearly 700 Pink Glove Dance videos have been created, garnering 17 million views. Through the video campaign, the Medline Foundation has donated $1.3 million to non-profit organizations that support detection and prevention initiatives.

More than 500 Parkland nurses, physicians, therapists, pharmacists, administrators, police officers, housekeepers, medical assistants, food service and other staff took a break from their duties to dance to the upbeat notes of singer Tori Kelly’s 2016 rendition of the Stevie Wonder hit ‘Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing’ at one of seven locations on the Parkland campus. Drone cameras captured dancers in the hospital’s Wellness Garden and on the construction site of Parkland’s new Moody Center for Breast Health, scheduled to open in 2021. Donors who contributed to Parkland Foundation’s $40 million capital campaign for the new center twisted and jived alongside construction workers sporting pink hard hats.

Two versions of the Pink Glove Dance Anniversary Video are now available online. View the Parkland Pink Glove Video at https://youtu.be/AmA1gxlddds and the National Pink Glove Video at https://youtu.be/7BPo5W9NaTc

One out of every eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer during her lifetime, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Each year, Parkland provides breast health services for 30,000 individuals and diagnoses and treats hundreds of patients with breast cancer – volumes that greatly exceed most other area hospitals. Parkland treats 20%of all breast cancer cases in Dallas County.

“Early diagnosis is a key to survival,” said W. Phil Evans, MD, division chief of breast imaging at Parkland and UT Southwestern and director of the UT Southwestern Center for Breast Care. “We want to ensure that women in Dallas County know their risk factors, recognize early warning signs of the disease and have the opportunity to be screened to find cancer early.”

With advances in screening and treatment, the death rate from breast cancer has decreased by 40% since 1990. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 or older, but breast cancer also affects younger women. About 20% of all new cases in the U.S. are found in women younger than age 50. Most women should begin yearly screening with mammography at age 40, Dr. Evans said.

During October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Parkland is offering events throughout Dallas County to promote breast health and breast cancer awareness. No-cost mammogram screenings (ages 35 and up) will be available from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the locations below to uninsured and underinsured women. To register and ensure your eligibility for no-cost mammograms, please call 214-266-4398 or the contact person for the event you wish to attend.

Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019
Binational Health Fair
Mountain View College
4849 W. Illinois Ave.
Dallas, 75211
Contact: Monica Moran 214-266-3059

Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019
Spring Fellowship Church
817 Holcomb Road
Dallas, 75217
Contact: Jeff Howard 214-266-0514