Teresa interacts with several different departments and disciplines in her role as a Nurse Navigator for Oncology, and she is well-known for her work ethic and compassionate approach that can be summed up in one word: Phenomenal. She takes her vast nursing knowledge and ensures each patient has the best experience possible.

One recent experience showcases this. A young patient, who was diagnosed with cancer, was referred to our department. Teresa’s role was to triage the patient and make sure she was scheduled appropriately. In addition, Teresa went above and beyond and got the patient scheduled for labs the same day, spoke with the Radiology Department at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, and had the patient scheduled for a PET/MRI the next day.

She also spoke with the cancer navigator at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and had the patient's information reviewed the same day by the triage team for further scheduling of appointments. In addition, she called the patient to update her, took the time to learn that the patient has small children, and provided the patient with social resources for cancer patients with small children.

She also gave the patient our contact numbers so that the patient could call us for anything prior to and after her consult. Thereafter, she updated the primary care physician and the consulted Oncologist with the plan. She does it all with such ease, poise, and empathy for all the new patients being consulted in Oncology. She is a humble powerhouse who makes a tremendous impact. She is the perfect role model for RICH TIES (Respect, Integrity, Compassion, Healing, Teamwork, Innovation, Excellence, Stewardship) and nursing excellence. We are incredibly lucky to have her on our team.