4
For Maria Casciola, facing breast
cancer felt much like the ups and
downs of a rollercoaster ride. In just a
matter of days, Maria went from the
joys of hosting her parents and grown
kids for a family visit to the terrifying
discovery of a lump in her left breast.
“It was as if my whole world kind of
stopped,” Maria says.
Right away, Maria made an appoint-
ment with her physician. Follow-up
tests confirmed that the lump was
indeed cancerous. But fortunately
for Maria, hers was caught early – as
stage II cancer – when it was more
treatable. Within a few weeks, Maria
underwent a mastectomy, followed by
a series of chemotherapy treatments
to eliminate any traces of the cancer.
But throughout her journey,
the fears and unknowns of surgery,
the “Why me?” questions, and
concern about what life would be
like during treatment and afterward
were all a scary reality.
Questions like Maria’s are exactly
why Saint Agnes Medical Center offers
a full-time Nurse Navigator. Like the
name implies, the Nurse Navigator
guides patients and their loved ones
through the entire breast cancer diag-
nosis and treatment plan. But perhaps
more important, the Nurse Navigator
offers emotional and spiritual support
along with resources to inform and
educate patients and their families.
“I get calls all the time from pa-
tients,” says Nurse Navigator Helen
Hanner, RN. “Sometimes they call
just to know someone is there. It’s so
gratifying to know you’re putting their
mind, heart and fears at ease.”
For Maria and her husband,
Marco, Helen’s help made a world of
difference.
“For someone like me who had
never been in the hospital, she was a
godsend,” Maria says.
Helen met with Maria and Marco
days before surgery. She answered
questions, explained exactly what to
expect, and sent Maria home with
a tote full of handbooks, resource
guides and even a handmade comfort
pillow. Part of Helen’s role is to help
patients’ loved ones along the way.
One of Marco’s initial concerns was
making sure he could stay overnight
with Maria after surgery. “I didn’t want
to leave her by herself,” he says.
Helen ensured that all arrange-
ments were made for Marco to stay
by his wife’s side. Afterward, Helen
was there to follow up with Maria
and Marco and connect them with
a local support group and other
resources.
“She was so reassuring about the
procedures that it minimized the anxi-
ety and fear of the unknown,” Maria
says. “Helen made this overwhelming,
scary situation seem doable.”
Committed to providing coordinated, high-quality care
to patients who are diagnosed with breast cancer or who
have abnormal breast findings, Saint Agnes opened a
dedicated breast clinic in November.
The clinic brings together a multidisciplinary
team of specialists who work hand-in-hand to
develop a personalized treatment plan for each
patient, which may include surgery, chemotherapy,
Nurse Navigator
Support when you need it most
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A team effort
BREAST
CANCER
MAKING THE GRADE
Saint Agnes Medical Cen-
ter’s breast program has the
distinction of being accred-
ited by the American College
of Radiology (ACR) in every
breast imaging category
possible: breast magnetic
resonance imaging, mam-
mography, stereotactic breast
biopsy, breast ultrasound and
ultrasound-guided breast
biopsy. Having received
three of these distinctions,
our Diagnostic Breast Center
was named a Breast Imaging
Center of Excellence by the
ACR – representing the high-
est level of image quality and
patient safety.
radiation therapy or a combination thereof. The team
includes radiologists; surgeons; medical and radiation
oncologists; a geneticist; and, of course, a Nurse
Navigator.
Studies show that patients who use one-stop pro-
grams for screening, diagnosis and treatment of breast
cancer have improved clinical outcomes, as well as an
improved quality of life.
To learn more about the breast clinic, visit
www.samc.com > Women’s Services > Breast Services.
For Marco and Maria Casciola, having the help of a Nurse Navigator eased
some of the anxiety that can come with a breast cancer diagnosis.
www.samc.com