I am a nurse practitioner (NP) with over 20 years of experience in supportive (palliative) care, which is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness. This type of care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. I hold board certifications in family practice, hospice and palliative care, and nursing executive practice. At MSK, I care for people with all types of cancers and manage the side effects of cancer and its treatment.
When patients meet with me, they are often concerned about the physical and psychological symptoms of cancer and its treatment. I listen to what patients have to say about their experience, conduct a thorough evaluation, collaborate with the rest of the cancer team, and provide treatment recommendations, including both medications, and non-medication approaches to alleviate those symptoms. The questions that I most commonly hear from the people in my care include:
- How can my pain or other symptoms be controlled without causing more problems?
- How can I make choices that will give me the best possible quality of life?
I chose a career in healthcare because I want to make a positive contribution to people’s lives. When I work with patients, I strive to get to know them as a person and focus on ways that I can help them get the care and support that they want and that they deserve.
In addition to providing direct care to patients, I have experience teaching on the topics of pain management, communication, and leadership. I’m a Distinguished Faculty Member at VitalTalk, a national training organization in which I lead and teach communication courses for physicians, nurses, social workers and other clinicians. My research efforts have focused on the impact of hospital-based palliative care programs and standardized criteria for supportive care for cancer patients.
When I am not working, I enjoy hiking and biking anywhere that allows me to connect with nature.