Ruth Ann Minner, cancer warrior

To me, the most important part of Gov. Minner’s legacy is her contribution to the fight against cancer in Delaware. She supported the establishment of the Delaware Cancer Consortium and made sure it was a priority for funding every year. The consortium has had some remarkable achievements. For instance, there is a dramatic increase in the number of people who get colonoscopies to detect colon cancer while it is highly treatable. It is also notable that we have overcome the racial disparity among those who sought such early detection procedures in the past. Also significant is the fact that Delaware may be the only state that has a cancer treatment program for people who do not have insurance coverage. Gov. Minner put her reputation on the line in the fight against cancer, and on a related big-picture issue, she took a courageous stand for the Clean Indoor Air Act and persevered against significant opposition from many quarters.