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Visitors from the Pink Ribbon Association in Shenzhen, China visiting Cloud Gate ("The Bean") in Chicago
 

CIPUSA loves collaborations! Our Affiliate network opens up the opportunity for international visitors to visit multiple cities across the U.S. to take advantage of each city’s unique resources, resulting in a well-rounded, educational and cultural U.S. experience.
 
In July, five women living with breast cancer and their family members visited CIPUSA Affiliate offices in Chicago, IL and Columbus, OH for a program focused on breast cancer care. The families were joined by two leaders from the Pink Ribbon Association—a non-governmental organization based in Shenzhen, China that educates and advocates for those living with the disease.
 
The program was sponsored by CIPUSA’s Affiliate office, Columbus International Program (CIP), to provide an overview of support systems in the U.S. for families living with breast cancer in hope of later incorporating these ideas and practices in Shenzhen, as well as connecting breast cancer surviors in China with those in central Ohio. 

CIP also teamed up with another of CIPUSA’s Affiliate offices, CIP Chicago, to provide the opportunity for the delegates to meet with more organizations that provide advocacy, education and support to women living with and survivors of breast cancer.
 
CIP Chicago organized a daylong program for the delegation, which included cultural activities such as a Chicago River Architectural Tour, and a panel presentation and discussion hosted by the Layola University Chicago School of Social Work. Panelists consisted of professionals from the Komen Chicago, Asian Health Coalition, Korean-American Community Services, Chinese-American Service Leagues, Asian Human Services, and the Jilin Association.

The delegation then traveled to Columbus, OH for the main part of the program where they met with a number of breast cancer-focused organizations consisting of the OhioHealth Bing Cancer Center, LifeCare Alliance, Hope Hollow, the Stephanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Cancer Center, and visited cultural sites, such as the Lincoln Theater. 

While at the Bing Cancer Center, the group learned about a variety of ways OhioHealth cares for breast cancer patients, including learning about breast reconstruction tattoos, integrative medicine (such as massage, acupuncture and nutrition counseling), genetics and research. 

A member of the delegation mentioned it was interesting to see acupuncture, a long-time eastern medicine technique, used in combination with western medicine here in the United States.

The delegation was even featured on the local news!  Click HERE to read a brief article published on OhioHealth's website and view an accompanying video.

On August 2, the delegation departed Columbus and visited Niagara Falls, Washington D.C., Philadelphia and New York City before returning home.