2. Candace Sprouse, Oncology Social Worker
• How did you get started in this field?
• I began at the YMCA as a social worker for kids. I then worked at Martin Pickens, the
psychiatric institute, and was placed in the adult unit. This is how I began working with
adults, and that later transitioned to the oncology unit.
• What are the daily responsibilities of your career?
• I interact with patients after their distress screenings to provide them resources that can be
of benefit. I travel between the 8 different cancer institutes and either meet with patients
face-to-face or talk through phone calls.
• What personal qualities or abilities are important to being successful?
• You must be genuine and have an interest in making a difference, as well as being patient
centered.
• What part of this job do you find the most challenging or satisfying?
• Not being able to find a patient the resources they need that can help is very challenging,
but it is satisfying when can.
• What are the positive/negative aspects of working in this field?
• A positive aspect is you get to make an impact. The negative is if a treatment is not working
and you have to then help them deal with the actualization they may die from the disease.
• How do you see this field changing in the future?
• I see a greater need for oncologist social workers, there will be more of a specialization in
this field.
• What special advice would you give an intern entering in this field?
• Have a heart for it- you don’t pick oncology, oncology picks you. You must have passion to
help people
3. Trish Leighton, Survivorship Nurse
Navigator
• How did you get started in this field?
• My first job was as a medical tech in oncology. Oncology has a special patient population and working
the field is very gratifying. The patients are deserving of quality and empathetic care and are
appreciative.
• What are the daily responsibilities of your career?
• I manage patient satisfaction and am responsible for the compliance and coordination of patients into the
cancer registry and referrals.
• What personal qualities or abilities are important to being successful?
• Empathetic, quality-driven, but you must be aware that there is a potential for “compassion fatigue”. It is
very important to take care of yourself emotionally and physically in order to be a good caregiver to
others and avoid burnout.
• What part of this job do you find the most challenging?
• Compliance is the most challenging regard. In 2016 we must provide Survivorship Care Plans (SCPs) to
25% of eligible patients. This depends on the providers to inform the patients of these Integrative
Oncology and Survivorship (IOS) visits so that an SCP can be delivered and we can meet the
requirement set by the National Commission on Cancer.
• What are the "hot issues" problems you see working in this field?
• Patient access to health care prevented due to cost and insurance.
• How do you see this field changing in the future?
• There will be an increase in the need for supportive therapies and technology to bring more of the
resources to the patients.
• What special advice would you give an intern entering in this field?
• Gather as many diverse experiences as possible to be exposed to different areas of medicine, more
exposure will better prepare your decision for what path of medicine you wish to travel.
4. Armand Desollar, Project &
Research Associate
• How did you get started in this field?
• I had an internship here at GHS as a Health Science major at Clemson University, and got
a job working here while I study for the MCAT and apply to medical school.
• What are the daily responsibilities of your career?
• I assist the nurse navigators, coordinate the acupuncture study by recruiting, documenting
patient consent, and drawing blood. I am also working on the new ovarian cancer support
program.
• What personal qualities or abilities are important to being successful?
• It is important to be hard working, have a positive attitude, and don’t be scared to assert
yourself and share new ideas.
• What part of this job do you find the most challenging or satisfying?
• Interacting with patients about medical advice is the most challenging, but it is satisfying to
see the impact and importance of CIOS on patients.
• What are the positive/negative aspects of working in this field?
• Seeing the positive impacts on people is good, but I have limited actions because I am not
qualified yet.
• How do you see this field changing in the future?
• I see the development of a more team approach to medicine, with increased collaboration
between doctors.
• What special advice would you give an intern entering in this field?
• Be open to things and new ideas, work hard, and never get discouraged.
5. Kerri Susko, Licensed Clinical Social
Worker
• How did you get started in this field?
• I worked on the pediatric floor to get certification and accreditation, and then got involved with oncology.
• What are the daily responsibilities of your career?
• I do individual counselling with survivors from the day of diagnosis on. After a patient is cured of their cancer, the
patient cannot just go back to living their previous life, so I help them cope with changes in their perspective about
life and worries about the future. I also counselling to caregivers and couples.
• What personal qualities or abilities are important to being successful?
• You have to have the ability to let a patient be emotional and not necessarily need to provide them with excessive
clinical treatment.
• What part of this job do you find the most challenging?
• Patients want a “quick fix”, like a pill, and are not always open to change. It is satisfying when you can see a
patient be able to move on from feeling that they are in a bad place.
• What are the "hot issues" problems you see working in this field?
• Insurance costs are a big issue. After diagnosed with cancer, patients with Medicaid are able to meet the criteria
more easily, but other insurance plans can cause huge financial burdens.
• How do you see this field changing in the future?
• Continue to change more towards addressing the whole person instead of just trying to tackle the medical piece
and leaving I at that. Because they are required to meet quotas, doctors are having trouble with this aspect and
are triaging a patients problems and only addressing the medical one. Treating the whole person, from social
needs to their wellness, will result in a more satisfied patient.
• What special advice would you give an intern entering in this field?
• Go into it not thinking that you know it all, so you can be open to learning new things or strategies per patient
basis. You can develop a style and say/do similar things, but it is important to not just apply one single theory to
every patient because then you could fall flat.
6. Jessica Menig, Dietician
• How did you get started in this field?
• I was a chemistry major in college, but I wanted something more applicable.
• What are the daily responsibilities of your career?
• I see 5-8 patients a day for an hour long session where I assess their nutrition needs, prescribe and
educate patients on appropriate diets.
• What personal qualities or abilities are important to being successful?
• Strong communication skills in order to teach a patient, and anylitical/critical thinking.
• What part of this job do you find the most challenging?
• Helping people find their own motivation to change is the most challenging, but seeing the improvement
is gratifying.
• What are the "hot issues" problems you see working in this field?
• Shows like Dr. Oz– too many people claim diets that work and you have to be able to tell patients that
these are not always true and are not a reality.
• How do you see this field changing in the future?
• I see it progressing more towards integrative nutrition, with the use of more supplements such as
turmeric; and getting more specific per person, such as how one’s hormones impact their metabolism.
• What special advice would you give an intern entering in this field?
• Shadow different positions to get perspective of daily activities so that you fully know the commitment to
a career. When shadowing, ask as many questions as possible and see the behind the scenes “prep
work”.
7. Cheryl Jones, Nurse
Navigator
• What are your job responsibilities?
• I do a lot of “hand holding” over the phone with patients to educate them and act as a life long resource. I
work more behind the scenes, such as making sure that patient reports are there for physicians to review
• What personal qualities or abilities are important to being successful?
• Compassionate, have a caring attitude, and serve with your heart.
• What part of this job do you find the most challenging?
• Not being face-to-face with the patient you are trying to help can be a challenge, but getting to help them
is very satisfying.
• What are the "hot issues" problems you see working in this field?
• There is going to be a big demand for more navigators
• How do you see this field changing in the future?
• With the advent of new drugs and the shift to chemotherapy in the form of oral medications, patients are
not going to realize that they are going to experience the same side effects as IV chemo and that will be
a challenge
• What special advice would you give an intern entering in this field?
• Find your niche and use this time to broaden your horizons and try and be open to it all.
8. Meredith Bowden, Music
Therapist
• How did you get started in this field?
• I completed my undergrad in Music Performance, but I loved people too much to perform. I looked
into music therapy and went to FSU to work in the medical field. I am now a NICU Certified Music
Therapist specializing in neurodevelopment.
• What are the daily responsibilities of your career?
• I work in both inpatient and outpatient oncology circuits and spend about half the day in the
pediatric infusion center and the other have with kids providing them procedure support.
• What personal qualities or abilities are important to being successful?
• Adaptability, being able to walk into a whole new setting and come up with a plan on the spot.
Being passionate about the work you do, and 110% keep up with current research
• What part of this job do you find the most challenging?
• Working with suffering children and staying with them throughout treatment is tough, but there is
nothing like cheering them up.
• How do you see this field changing in the future?
• I see lots of growth in this field, lobbying more at hospitals because music therapy is proven to be
effective and our services can be beneficial and cost effective for hospitals.
• What special advice would you give an intern entering in this field?
• Adaptability, each case is completely different- a different person manifested in a different way. Be
able to provide to your patients.
9. Leann Perkins, Nurse
Practitioner
• What are the daily responsibilities of your career?
• I work with patients that have been recently diagnosed. This department is for support and
we work as a complete team to allow more time for helping patients. Any patient can come
to CIOS and can be connected early on or after treatment.
• What personal qualities or abilities are important to being successful?
• Able to listen, hear, and connect with a patient. It is important to educate them to their own
level, and that can mean you must sometimes put yourself in their shoes and refrain from
being judgmental
• What are the positive/negative aspects of working in this field?
• A positive aspect is helping with a patient’s quality of life in a holistic view. You can be there
for the patient as best you can and deal with the issues that other health care providers do
not have time to address. The negative is that other medical oncologists do not completely
appreciate what is done here in this department.
• What special advice would you give an intern entering in this field?
• Spend time in our department or with the medical oncologist Dr. O’Rourke to get the full
experience. Immersing yourself and not forgetting what it is like to be a nurse or other
medical professional, or what it is like to be a patient or their family is important in the
future.
10. Noreen D., Nursing Program
Coordinator• How did you get started in this field?
• Working in the field of oncology happened serendipitously. I began as a travelling nurse and was positioned on the
oncology floor. Being with those patients and seeing how they have been through so much and see life differently
and embrace it more than others was very inspiring.
• What are the daily responsibilities of your career?
• I oversee the Moving On Oncology Rehabilitation Program, a 12 week fitness program at the Life Center gym.
Patients come 3 times a week and I work with them on increasing physical fitness by focusing on cardio, strength
training, and stretching. The program is nurse supervised and is in an actual gym to give patients a real gym
atmosphere and teach them to learn the equipment.
• What personal qualities or abilities are important to being successful?
• You must be compassionate and caring, organized, and be interested.
• What part of this job do you find the most challenging or satisfying?
• Working with different personalities and finding the right fit and motivation so patients can be successful.
• How do you see this field changing in the future?
• Moving On is a free program because insurance does not recognize this as a proven treatment modality, but it will
change when more studies come out
• What special advice would you give an intern entering in this field?
• Remember every person in the health care team has something to teach you and everyone is part of the team,
from the janitors to secretaries, and it is not going to work without a team effort from everyone.
• How do you define patient-centered care, and how do you think CIOS successfully implements that
principle?
• The different programs we offer show that CIOS looks at the person as a whole. Cancer impacts not just where
the tumor came from, it is important to remember that and to treat the whole person.
