Georgia CORE announces the first annual Phillip H. Street Cancer Community Service Award and the 2022 Matt Mumber M.D. Award for Excellence in Cancer
12/06/2022, Georgia CORE
After a months-long nomination and selection process, Georgia CORE is pleased to announce the winner of the first annual award given in honor of a dear friend and colleague who worked behind the scenes to lay the legal and organizational groundwork for the organization. The Phillip H. Street Cancer Community Service Award celebrates Phillip’s appreciation for the “unsung hero” in the cancer fight including survivors, caregivers, advocates, and volunteers, and Tiah Tomlin-Harris fits that bill.
Tiah has been a volunteer and friend to Georgia CORE for years. After her personal bout with breast cancer at a young age, Tiah started a nonprofit and a support group, and through them, has provided childcare services, transportation, and financial assistance, served as a caregiver for those who did not have support, made home visits, provided meals, and more. She advocates on behalf of cancer survivors, particularly in the African-American community, who face barriers to treatment and access to survivorship resources. She has spoken on national platforms, advocated to state and federal lawmakers, and has received numerous awards and recognition, including the George Bush Point of Lights Award.
Georgia CORE’s board and staff are happy to honor our late friend Phillip by awarding Tiah $5,000 for her service to Georgia’s cancer care community.
Emily Beard of Northside Hospital Cancer Institute is this year’s winner of the Matt Mumber M.D. Award for Excellence in Cancer Patient Navigation, given jointly by the Cancer Patient Navigators of Georgia, which is administered and funded by Georgia CORE and the Georgia Society for Clinical Oncology (GASCO). The award is named in honor of Dr. Mumber, a radiation oncologist at the Harbin Clinic in Rome, GA who is known for his integrative and innovative approach to treating the whole patient from diagnosis through survivorship. While in nursing school, long before she ever heard of a “patient navigator,” Emily began to understand social determinants of health and barriers to care that lead to health disparities of all kinds. As she started her career, she became more aware of how these barriers impact long-term outcomes in terms of survival and quality of life. Since those early days -- according to her nominator, Emily has stepped up as a tireless advocate for marginalized people and groups that have unmet healthcare needs and barriers to access. Emily is committed to the special needs of young people with cancer, and especially people of color and of the LGBTQIA+ communities.
Emily will be awarded $2,000 and will be recognized along with the Tiah at the upcoming 20thAnniversary Georgia CORE Gala on February 18, 2023 at the Atlanta History Center.