I am a registered nurse with over 25 years of experience caring for people with cancer. For over a decade, I have focused on the care of people with advanced renal cell (kidney) cancer. Before that, I cared for patients with colorectal, stomach, and mixed tumors when they were in the hospital after surgery. I also have experience as a private duty nurse, specializing in palliative and hospice care. In addition to caring for patients, I love teaching and mentoring nurses.
I have worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) since my summer job as a telephone operator in 1990. At the time I was attending school to become a teacher, but I was so impressed by MSK I changed my major to nursing. Now I help patients and their families through every step of the cancer journey. As an expert in patient education, I teach them about their diagnosis, treatments, and any side effects they may have. I help them coordinate complex cancer care while supporting them with their emotional and spiritual needs. And because metastatic kidney cancer is a lifelong disease, I help my patients learn to manage work, school, family, and all aspects of life while receiving cancer care. My goal is to help people live well with chronic cancer and understand that having cancer does not define them.
Outside of MSK, I have served as a content expert on several advisory boards that work on access to care and removing financial barriers to treatment. I have worked with the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN) on several projects, including the Cancer Advocacy & Patient Education initiative where I served as a content expert for kidney cancer. I am also a member of the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) and Hospice and Palliative Care Nurses Association.
I am the proud wife of a retired FDNY firefighter, mother to 4 awesome children, and we have a rescue pup from Puerto Rico. I love music and enjoy going to concerts in my spare time. I also like listening to audiobooks and true crime podcasts. I am a lifelong learner and I read as much as I can in my spare time.