Eileen Pillitteri

Eileen is the Maurer Foundation Program Manager and comes to us with over 13 years of experience in non-profit settings. The mission of the organization to save lives through education is what drew her to the Foundation. Eileen has designed and implemented training programs for health and human service providers as well as the general public. She has also created and conducted programs that encourage students to make healthy lifestyle choices and avoid harmful behaviors. In her free time, Eileen enjoys taking Spin classes, reading and spending time outdoors with her family.

Taking our Certification Program to the Virtual World

A screenshot of our latest certified educator Maureen Barillaro. These unprecedented times call for unprecedented solutions! The Maurer Foundation has certified our newest breast health educator, Maureen Barillaro from Massachusetts, all while in the safety of her home, via Zoom. Maureen has been connecting with many women while building her business, I Love My Nighty, and [...]

Providing Breast Health Programming through Distance Learning

Everyone around the world is learning how to adapt to social distancing guidelines. This is particularly true for our educational partners across Long Island and New York City.  The Maurer Foundation has risen to the challenge by working quickly to modify our in-person workshops to seamlessly integrate into the remote learning environment. Teachers are showing [...]

Meeting the Increasing Demand for Certified Breast Health Educators

Over the past few years, the Maurer Foundation has been fielding an increasing number of calls from across the United States to address the need for qualified breast health educators. Last year, we extended our reach across the pond, with our first international trainee. What we find especially satisfying are the longterm connections we maintain [...]

Maurer Foundation Expands Programming in High Needs Communities through Pink Aid’s Support

Since 2015, Pink Aid has provided funding for the Maurer Foundation’s breast health programs in the communities on Long Island with the highest needs. This year, they have generously increased their support through a $22,000 grant which specifically targets socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals and recent immigrants, many of whom are Spanish-speaking. Our educational handout printed in [...]

Plainedge High School’s Inaugural Class of Peer Educators

In November 2018,  Plainedge High School hosted our Peer Education training program for the first time.  This program had truly come full circle for Lorraine Amato, a former Maurer Foundation Program Manager who initially drafted the program 12 years ago.  Lorraine, who volunteers her time on the Foundation’s Educational Advisory Council, invited us into her [...]

Program Department Intern

The purpose of this internship is to assist in the Program Department’s primary focus of delivering breast health programs to schools, colleges, community groups and businesses on Long Island.

Meet our Newest Certified Breast Health Educator from California

 A story we have heard so many times- a young woman finding a breast lump just months after having her mammogram.  At the age of 41, Jennifer James discovered a golf ball-sized lump on the side of her chest.   She immediately got it checked by her physician, who sent her for testing which revealed a [...]

Intensive Training for Nurses Staffing the Newest Mobile Scan Van on Long Island

Breast cancer is the one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and the second leading cause of cancer death among women living in the United States. Mammograms can detect cancer at early stages, when it is often the most treatable. However, many women are unable to benefit from this method of early detection due to [...]

Does Breastfeeding Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer?

Research indicates that moms who breastfeed their babies for at least one year lower their risk of developing breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.   Nursing moms do not necessarily need to nurse a child for 12 consecutive months to benefit; a combined duration of at least a year for all of her children [...]

At-Home DNA Kit is Approved To Test Breast Cancer Risk and BRCA Gene Mutations

“Creative Commons DNA Lab” by University of Michigan is licensed under CC BY 2.0 In March 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first direct-to-consumer genetic test that could identify an increased breast cancer risk. How Does 23andMe Test For The BRCA Gene? With 23andMe, consumers mail their saliva sample for laboratory analysis, [...]