Women’s Health Matters

In May 2023, our Women In Support of Excellence (WISE) group hosts a conversation on cancer care, hope and healing with the following panelists.

Dr. Camelia Lawrence, MD, FACS
Director of Breast Surgery for the Hospital of Central Connecticut and Midstate Medical Center

Dr. Camelia Lawrence, MD, FACS is a board-certified surgeon specializing in benign and malignant breast disease. She has fellowship training in advanced breast cancer surgery, including skin and nipple-sparing mastectomy, sentinel node biopsy and oncoplastic techniques.  She earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Fordham University and her medical degree from the University Of Rochester School Of Medicine. She completed her residency at New York Medical College. She then entered her fellowship training at the John Wayne Cancer Institute, Santa Monica in Breast Surgical Oncology. She currently serves as the Director of Breast Surgery for the Hospital of Central Connecticut and Midstate Medical Center tasked with the responsibility of further developing their breast programs.

She serves as Assistant Professor of Surgery at UConn School of Medicine, University of Connecticut where she works with medical students and surgical residents nurturing her personal interest in teaching and education of the future generation. Dr. Lawrence is the President of Fairfield County Medical Association in CT.

Dr. Kisha Mitchell Richards, MD, FCAP
Director of Pathology and Laboratory, Greenwich Hospital

Dr. Kisha Mitchell Richards is the Director of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, Connecticut. Originally from Jamaica, Dr. Mitchell Richards earned her medical degree from the University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica. She then completed an Anatomic and Clinical Pathology residency at George Washington University, a Forensic Pathology fellowship at University of South Florida and a Gastrointestinal Pathology fellowship at University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Mitchell Richards began her career as an academic Gastrointestinal Pathologist at Yale University, and subsequently became an Associate Professor and Director of Autopsy. She departed Yale to become a general community pathologist at Greenwich Hospital in 2016 where she became the Director in 2018. She has published in autopsy, gastrointestinal and liver pathology and lectured in these areas locally and nationally. She is an active participant in pathology at the national level, serving as a member of the Curriculum Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and member of the Pathologists Council of the American Society of Clinical pathologists (ASCP), among other roles. Her professional interests include making pathology and the pathologist more accessible to patients and bolstering physician involvement in health care administration.

Tanya Pessoa, CEO and Founder
Simply Divine Spaces

Tanya’s diverse background has led her through the soaring skies as a professional Flight Attendant, and down below in entertainment and hospitality as an Event Planner, Curator, Director of Events & Night Life and GM for famous Restaurants, Bars & Clubs in NYC.

Tanya developed a passion for decorating in her tenure as a Real Estate Sales agent. Real Estate Agents in NYC often have a first glimpse at the most elite spaces in the 5 boroughs. It was during this time that Tanya was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. It was then she realized it was time to start bringing her skills and passion to life – and just like that, Simply Divine Spaces was born. Tanya found peace and solace through chemo and radiation therapy by engaging in her unique skills in decorating, organizing and making her home – and that of friends and family – beautiful again.

Life catches up to all of us – and so does our home. Over time, it is easy for places to become cluttered, disheveled and dated. Oftentimes, rebuilding an entire space is not an option – but decorating is. Working with decorating is a quick and cost effective way to refresh any space.

Tanya Pessoa, USC™, UFSC™, UDRC™, UCPO™, Certified UltimateStager™ | Ultimate Feng Shui Specialist™ | Ultimate Decorator & ReDesigner™ | Ultimate Professional Organizer™

Rosie Brathwaite
Cancer Survivor