Mary E. Costello
Patient Advocate
Highlights
- Speaker, 2023 Conference on Metastatic Breast Cancer
- Diagnosed with de novo metastatic breast cancer in 2020
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Mary E. Costello, aka “Cos,” is a social worker by education, systems-orientation, and spirit. She is a former senior-level human services administrator, mental health counselor and case manager, and high-profile State of Maryland disability advocate turned full-service non-profit consultant.
Diagnosed with de novo Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) in July 2020, Mary speaks publicly about her experiences since diagnosis, and she serves as a voice for those who are uncomfortable telling their own stories and for those who no longer can. As an advocate, Mary seeks to provide support and information—and hope—to newly-diagnosed folks, influence better policy and research outcomes, participate in identification and resolution of support service gaps (especially for historically marginalized communities), help healthcare providers increase cultural competency and person-first language, and make “patient-centered” more than a buzzword. She has several projects under development, including “CancerAside”—a regular sub-series of her soon-to-be-launched social justice podcast, “CosEffect.”