Emily Blair, MD, to be honored at October Gala in Fairfield

Dr. Emily Blair will be honored for her many years of service to The Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center and Bridgeport Hospital at a gala on October 27 at the Patterson Club in Fairfield.

Dr. Blair is an OB-GYN whose round-the-clock dedication to her work has made her beloved of her patients and colleagues. She partners with The Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center to help patients with breast cancer, and the evening will also honor women who have survived the disease through the presentation of Portraits of Beauty, a slide-show highlighting the beauty of the survivor. The event begins at 6:30 pm and features dinner, dancing and a live auction. Tickets are $200, with proceeds benefitting the Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center.

Dr. Blair is a senior attending physician at Bridgeport Hospital and a partner with OB/GYN of Fairfield County, with offices in Fairfield and Stratford. She attended C.O.M.S., where she received her medical degree in 1986. She began her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Bridgeport Hospital that same year and became chief resident in 1989. She has been with the Hospital ever since.

Her activity at the Hospital extends beyond her responsibilities as a physician. She serves on the Hospital Board, the Professional Quality Committee and the Teaching Faculty. Elsewhere, she has been a member of the Women’s Mental Health Task Force of the State Psychiatric Association. She is a fellow of the American College of OB-GYNs and board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Portraits of Beauty is based on a book of photographs of the same name, celebrating patients who have made the breast cancer journey through treatment to recovery. The models are former and current patients at The Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center who also wrote short statements about what helped them get through the experience. Many had a similar theme, focusing on the strength they had found that helped them take everything in stride. The book, which includes the models’ statements, will be available for sale at the gala. All proceeds benefit The Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center.

The gala, slide-show and book are being organized by Karen Paloian, Kelly Kenler and Julie Jandali, who volunteer with the Breast Care Center.

“I was in awe,” Paloian said of the models. “These women were so strong, empowered and beautiful. They reminded me how important it is to hold onto your dreams and focus on what’s important. They showed us that there is this amazing potential we all carry inside ourselves, and it is sometimes only under the most difficult circumstances that that side emerges.”

For tickets and information call (203) 255-5300.

Part of Bridgeport Hospital and the Yale New Haven Health System, The Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center has served more than 20,000 women and their families since it was established in 1999. One of only 200 sites accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), the Center provides a wide range of diagnostic care and treatment at its Bridgeport Hospital and Fairfield locations, including medical oncology, surgical and chemotherapy services, plastic surgery, mammography and radiation therapy, and genetic risk assessment as well as opportunities to participate in clinical trials.

The Breast Care Center office at 111 Beach Road in Fairfield provides comprehensive women’s wellness services, including nutrition counseling, massage and Reiki therapy, wig and prosthesis fitting, counseling, yoga, Pilates, naturopathic medicine and other patient support activities. The Center also has a satellite office on Park Avenue in Trumbull.

The Center is a member of the prestigious National Consortium of Breast Care Centers. For more information call (203) 255-5300 or visit the Center on the web at www.bridgeporthospital.org/cancer/breast.