Dr. Sara Yegiyants, a triple board-certified plastic surgeon and supporter of the Breast Cancer Resource Center (BCRC), will receive the Dr. Fred Kass Healing Through Compassion Award at the BCRC’s Pink Lounge Gala Friday, Sept. 26, at the El Encanto Hotel.
Established in 2024, in honor of oncologist Dr. Kass, the Healing Through Compassion Award recognizes individuals whose contributions to breast cancer care extend beyond medical excellence, celebrating those who lead with empathy and inspire unity within the breast cancer care community.
“We are thrilled to celebrate and honor Dr. Yegiyants’ contributions and the significant imprint she continues to make in lives of our clients and in supporting the BCRC’s mission and role in the healing journey,” said Silvana Kelly, executive director of BCRC.
“She has been an ambassador of the BCRC and long-term supporter since her arrival in Santa Barbara in 2015,” Kelly said. “She cares deeply -not only about the physical healing but also the human and emotional recovery that is best achieved within a community of compassionate encouragement.
“Dr. Yegiyants’ recognition as an award recipient, after Dr. Kass, marks a significant milestone in honoring the spirit of compassion which helps sustain and strengthen our community. Together, we celebrate not just a person, but the power of healing through humanity.”
A California native, Dr. Yegiyants, brings a rare blend of artistic vision and surgical precision to her practice, BCRC said. Her early studies in visual arts put down the foundation for a lifelong commitment to aesthetic excellence and patient-centered care.
Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences.
Since March 2015, Dr. Yegiyants has led a practice in Santa Barbara, specializing in the spectrum of plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery, with emphasis on breast reconstruction, helping survivors restore confidence after treatment.
“Receiving this award is a profound honor,” said Dr. Yegiyants. “To be recognized by an organization as vital as the BCRC, and to be recognized and stand alongside colleagues like Dr. Kass, is truly humbling.
“I am inspired daily by the strength of the women we serve and the unwavering support this community offers each other.”
The Pink Lounge Gala marks the opening of Pink Week, a fundraising initiative supporting the BCRC’s mission.
Proceeds from the gala and surrounding events provide funding for the center’s free services, including peer support, counseling, wellness programs, and integrative therapies for individuals facing breast cancer.
The BCRC, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1997 is at 55 Hitchcock Way, Its free services are sustained entirely by fundraising efforts and a community of donors.
For more, call BCRC, 805-569-9693 or visit https://www.bcrcsb.org/pinkweek/.