Irene Pollin, MSW, PhD (Hon.)
Founder and Chairperson
Irene
Pollin founded Sister to Sister in 2000 with the goal of educating women
about heart disease. The primary features of Sister to Sister are health
fairs in 21 cities where women are provided free screenings. The women
are encouraged to change their behavior to prevent and minimize cardiac
risk factors.
A psychotherapist, Mrs. Pollin has established organizations and foundations to help women change behavior on various health-related topics. She created both the Medical Crisis Counseling Center at the Washington Hospital Center and the NBA "Wives Save Lives" breast cancer awareness campaign. Mrs. Pollin, who earned a Master of Social Work degree at Catholic University, has also worked directly with patients in the mental health field for more than 30 years.
Howard University awarded Mrs. Pollin an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree during commencement ceremonies in May 2007.
The author of two books, "Medical Crisis Counseling" and "Taking Charge: Overcoming the Challenges of Long-Term Illness," Mrs. Pollin has also written numerous articles on coping with chronic illness. She frequently is featured in magazine articles, on TV and in radio programs, including The Today Show and Nightline.
Mrs. Pollin has received awards from many organizations, including the International Psycho-Oncology Society, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Woman's Day magazine, from which she received the Red Dress Award for 2004.
She is a current member of the Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Round Table, The Columbia Presbyterian Health Sciences Advisory Council, Howard University's Women's Health Institute Advisory Committee, and American Women for International Understanding.
She served as a presidential appointee to the National Cancer Institute in 1984 and is a past member of the Advisory Council for the Harvard School of Public Health's Center for Health Communications, the Advisory Committee of the National Institutes of Health's Office of Research on Women's Health, the Advisory Committee of Columbia Presbyterian Hospital's Center for Women's Health, and the Board of the National Health Museum.
In addition to her extensive work in the health field, Mrs. Pollin also co-owns the Washington Wizards basketball team and the Verizon Center in Washington, DC.
