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Ms. Senior Arizona gears up to crown 2022 queen

BY JORDAN HOUSTON Glendale Star Staff Writer

After a year of uncertainty, Arizona’s most elegant senior women are refusing to let the pandemic’s aftermath slow them down.

The Cameo Foundation’s 32nd Ms. Senior Arizona pageant is gearing up to crown its next queen on Aug. 21. Following a forced hiatus last year, the foundation will crown its 2022 Ms. Senior Arizona, according to Ms. Senior Arizona Pageant Executive Director and former 2004 queen Herme Sherry.

The nonprofi t organization will not crown a 2020 or 2021 title holder due to COVID-19-related obstacles, Sherry explained.

“We are crowning 2022 this year,” she said. “The reason we are doing that this year is because they are doing a virtual national (pageant) this year, and some states chose to do it, but we couldn’t get in.

“So, we are going to go ahead and crown 2022 for next year.”

This year’s pageant, open only to women 60 and older, was originally slated to take place in January, Sherry said. However, the foundation was required to reschedule due to the nature of the virtual 2021 pageant structure. Tucson resident Ava Genung, who was crowned in 2019, is the reigning Ms. Senior Arizona.

Selected from a group of 20 contestants, the 2022 Arizona queen will go on to compete in the national competition next year, Sherry said.

Ms. Senior America pageant is a nonprofi t corporation dedicated to enriching not only “the lives of seniors” but also to encourage them to “tap their energy to enrich the lives of others.”

The Valley Vista Performing Arts Center, located at 15550 N. Parkview Place in Surprise, will host the August competition at 6 p.m. General tickets are $15, while VIP seats are $25. Proceeds from the event will also go toward supporting domestic violence survivors via the Cameo Foundation, Sherry said.

Ms. Senior Arizona honors the “Age of Elegance,” Sherry said, by embodying the motivation and inspiration of senior women, grandmothers and great-grandmothers.

More than just a “beauty contest,” the pageant seeks to reenforce the importance of self-worth, inner beauty and charm. It strives to offer older women a platform to showcase their achievements, talents and values, Sherry explained.

“Our pageant searches for a gracious lady who will represent the seniors of Arizona,” Sherry said. “We like to say, ‘A beautiful young woman is a gift from God, and beautiful old people are a work of art.’”

Contestants are judged on four categories: their philosophies of life, judges’ interviews, evening gown presentations and talent. The Cameo Foundation spends fi ve weeks of rehearsal with the contestants prior to the big day, Sherry said.

“We work on them with their philosophies of life and make sure their timing is right,” she said. “Then there is the talent, which can be anything — we’re open to professionals but also to everyone.”

“Some people come in and say, ‘I have no talent,’” she continued. “And then I tell them, ‘You do have a talent, we just don’t know what it is yet — but we will fi nd it.’”

To be eligible, contestants must live in Arizona for at least three months prior to the state contest, according to the Ms. Senior Arizona website. There is also a $125 application fee.

All competing contestants are given the opportunity to participate in the Cameo Foundation, a national organization comprised of previous contenders. Dedicated to supporting the pageant, club members perform throughout the state to raise funds to send their queen to nationals each year.

The local nonprofi t works to provide resources to arm its members with the “needed expertise and self-confi dence to maximize their potential,” its website continues.

“We get a lot of heartwarming things out of this and how it changes the lives of many,” Sherry said. “Some of these women are doing things they never thought they’d be doing over 60.”

Following her 2019 win, Genung has fl ourished in her extended role as Ms. Senior Arizona to continue to support the foundation, Sherry shared.

“Ava has been a great queen,” the 2004 pageant winner said. “She was in it three times and won on her third time. She’s been great and has performed in many places.”

Contestants are allowed to compete for the title three times — but no more than two consecutive years.

Genung snagged the top talent award for her jazz dance to a Motown medley, most photogenic and best philosophy of life.

For more information about the Ms. Senior Arizona pageant and ticketing, call 602-788-9556 or visit msseniorarizona.com.

2019 Ms. Senior Arizona winner Ava Genung. (Photo by Pablo Robles)

August 12, 2021

Glendale radiation oncology center adds doctor

BY LAUREN SERRATO Glendale Star Staff Writer

Arizona Oncology has added several new fellowship-trained oncologists to its facilities throughout the state.

In its three Valley locations, the advanced cancer care provider has expanded its services, including an immunotherapy program, elevated research, new innovative fertility options, radiation services, and brain tumor diagnostics and treatments.

“Our goal, of course, is to provide the highest-quality cancer care,” said Dr. Edgar Staren, Arizona Oncology’s chief of operations.

“In doing so, it means to be innovative and up to date on the latest and greatest in therapies. We’re therefore delighted to be adding new programs and new physicians who bring to Arizona Oncology and its patients just that — innovative new thinking, new programs and, obviously as a result of the additional folks, the ability to be able to deliver that care.”

The new services and levels of care are available at the East Valley, Biltmore and Arrowhead locations.

The provider hired six oncologists and a fellowship-trained breast surgeon to join its existing network of more than 60 physicians.

“We need to make sure that we have the same kind of diversity of physician representation,” Staren said. “By bringing these new physicians on board — young, well-trained, enthusiastic physicians — they bring that innovative new practice ideas with diversity of their specialization all in the name of providing the highest quality of care to the patients.”

The Glendale practice welcomed Dr. Ronik Bhangoo at Arrowhead Radiation Oncology and Imaging Center. Bhangoo specializes in radiation oncology.

Bhangoo has participated in various radiation oncology publications. He comes to Arizona Oncology from the Radiation Oncology Residency Program at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix.

“Dr. Bhangoo brings a broad array of experience and administration of radiation therapy and various categories within radiation therapy to our practice,” Staren said.

“He’s already become very busy, which I think is consistent with both his interpersonal skill as well as his professional talent.”

Staren said the Glendale facility is undergoing significant changes as it looks to grow at the same rate as the city.

“The facility ends up being one that we are looking forward to its continued growth, and in fact, we’re investing both personally, professionally and financially into that particular facility with expansion of space and expansion of services,” he said.

“The Arrowhead facility already has radiation oncology and breast surgery and urology. We will be adding medical oncology and gynecologic oncology to that location as well, so it will be very much a full-service, fairly comprehensive cancer center.”

The addition of the services to the Glendale location has much to do with Arizona Oncology’s recognition of the area’s economic development growth, as well as the community’s need for a quality oncology center.

“We certainly recognize that communities in the west part of the Valley — Glendale, Surprise, Peoria and farther south Goodyear, Buckeye, etc. — are some of the fastest-growing communities in the United States,” Staren said.

“We see that percentage increase being reflected, unfortunately, in an increased number of cancer cases simply because the percentages stay fairly similar. With increased patient growth, there’s a concomitant increase patient population. We feel responsible to serve that and provide that highest quality care, so it makes sense for us to double down on the growth.”

The East Valley Cancer Center in Tempe welcomed four doctors to the team, including Dr. Ali Madani, who specializes in medical oncology and

hematology; Dr. Ian Komenaka, who specializes in breast surgery; Dr. Katherine Stewart, who specializes in gynecology oncology; and Dr. Samuel Day, who specializes in radiation oncology. The Virginia G. Piper Cancer Transplant Institute in Scottsdale hired Dr. Abraham Kanate, specializing in bone marrow transplants. Lastly, the Biltmore Cancer Center in Phoenix added neuro-oncology specialist Dr. Abraham Kanate. “We do have some who are mid-career but would, of course, be new to Arizona Oncology,” Staren said “They end up being new, and maybe not necessarily young, but they bring new ideas, things that we perhaps haven’t thought of or entertained or been a part of our practice. “So much of what we’re looking for with recruitment of these kinds of doctors is to be able to bring new options, different making type options to the StarTimes_fall_parent.pdf 1 4/12/21 12:02 PM care of our patients.” The new physicians are helping to expand Arizona Oncology’s services and bring new practices, including elevated research, innovative fertility options, new immunotherapy program, brain tumor diagnostics and treatments, and radiation services. Staren said the growth of Arizona Oncology will allow patients to have greater and more convenient access to quality medical services and physicians. “We’re unique in that we have outstandingly trained clinicians and staff,” Staren said. “Our clinicians would be right at home with the academic credentials that they have at finest in comprehensive NCI-designated cancer centers, academic facilities, etc. But they chose to deliver that level of care in the community setting proximal to the patients, and therefore the patients have the benefit of that level of care near their home. “We do have a very robust research program, and as a result we bring innovative trials as an option to the patients, which is not necessarily something that they can get in all community settings.”