About The Rose

It's All About
Saving Lives

From a time long before pink ribbons covered the landscape, Dorothy and Dr. Dixie’s passionate advocacy established The Rose as an acclaimed model of breast health care. From mammograms to biopsies to treatment, The Rose excels in advanced digital imaging, mobile mammography, patient navigation, and medical excellence.

Since its launch in 1986, The Rose has served nearly 800,000 patients and is now the leading nonprofit breast health care organization in southeast Texas. Our board-certified radiologists, specialized technical staff, five Mammography Coaches, and Diagnostic Imaging Centers give access to treatment to more than 40,000 women annually.  

"When you leave us, you truly know we care."

Dorothy Gibbons, CEO & Co-Founder of The Rose

Our Mission & History

Fueled by frustration and driven by passion, the lives of Dorothy Weston Gibbons and Dr. Dixie Melillo have been filled with firsts.

Dorothy established the first PR department at Bayshore Medical Center where she first met Dr. Dixie, one of the first female surgeons to graduate from UTMB. With camera in hand, Dorothy began to chronicle the startling number of women with late-stage breast cancer coming to see Dr. Dixie. Frustrated that breast cancer awareness and access to care were sorely lacking, the two women started their quest to educate. Soon they established The Rose, the first nonprofit breast cancer organization based on the insured covering the costs of the uninsured. The Rose has been in operation since 1986.

"Saving lives through quality breast health services, advocacy and access to care for all."

The Rose reduces deaths from breast cancer by providing access to screening, diagnostics and treatment services to any woman regardless of her ability to pay. The Rose addresses any barrier that might keep a woman from caring for her own needs. Studies show women often put personal needs on hold while tending to the needs of others. Many women cite costs and lack of access as reasons they delay preventive services. Yet early detection mammography screenings are the most powerful weapons in the fight against breast cancer—which is 98% curable when detected early.

Every service offered by The Rose is available to the uninsured through one of many sponsorship programs. In fact, the whole purpose of the Empower Her® Sponsorship Program is to ensure any woman has access to breast cancer screening, diagnosis and care. From the initial screening mammogram through diagnostic procedures such as ultrasound and biopsies, as well as access to treatment—all are part of the quality breast health care offered at The Rose.

Making a Difference, Patient by Patient, County by County

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Years Of Service

Our Mission

Saving lives through quality breast health services, advocacy and access to care for all.