Recently I was being interviewed for a television spot and the moderator asked: “Why would women choose The Rose?” Before I could answer, he said, “I can understand why uninsured women would go to The Rose, after all that is your mission isn’t it? But why would an insured woman go to your facility?”

My response was quick: “Because an insured woman knows she is receiving great care and she also knows that by having her mammogram at The Rose—just by doing that one thing—she is helping another woman.” He was about to go on to the next question when I added: “Think about it. That insured woman can go anywhere, in Houston alone she has at least 70 other places to go but only at The Rose will her mammogram help an uninsured woman. She’s helping that woman have an option and that option could save her life.”

Long after the interview ended, his question lingered in my mind. “Why The Rose?”

So I turned to our patients, our supporters, our physicians and even some of our vendors for their answers. Some of their responses were unexpected, others brought tears.

I go to The Rose because:

They feel like family
Everyone is welcomed
I am uninsured and they treated me like a queen
The doctors actually come into the room and talk to you
I donate to The Rose because
They took care of my aunt
I know my money stays local and helps local
They provide access to all
They always have the highest rating on Charity Navigator

I refer my patients to The Rose because:

I trust their physicians and my patients tell me they like going there
I count on their Patient Navigation for my diagnosed patients
I always send my first timers to The Rose
I know the technologists take extra care to be gentle
They bring their mobile unit to my office

The Rose means different things to different people, but the one constant in all the answers is that; The Rose means a chance at life for a whole lot of women. I go back to the question, “Why would women choose The Rose?”

I think, with all the reasons to choose The Rose, why would they not.