A nurse’s push to educate and raise awareness is making a dramatic difference in the lives of breast cancer survivors in the North Country. That is why Jeanine Lynch, BSN, RN, OCN, CBCN has been honored as The University of Vermont Health Network-Champlain Valley Physician’s Hospital’s (CVPH) 17th DAISY Award recipient.

A Breast Care Navigator (BCN) at CVPH since 2017, Lynch works tirelessly with patients to help them through their fight against cancer. She assists with scheduling appointments, refers patients to someone who can help with transportation needs for those appointments, gets answers to their questions, and is ready to lend an ear and listen when they just want someone to talk to. In addition, Lynch works with several teams within the hospital to ensure patients are going through their care plans in a timely manner.

“Jeanine is always thinking of patients first. She just always has their needs foremost in her mind,” wrote P, a peer who nominated Lynch for the DAISY Award.

In her nomination, she highlighted one of her colleague’s recent endeavors that has brought smiles and tears of joy to survivors. A Certified Mastectomy Fitter (CMF), who is a health professional specifically educated and trained to fit patients for external breast prostheses and provides other post-surgery products and services, has been coming to CVPH once a month since 2014 to meet a need in the community. Still, Lynch worried that many patients in the region were not taking advantage of these services.

P noted that her co-worker got right to work, organizing educational opportunities for caregivers and providers to meet with CMF Jackie Keto, who owns Albany-based “Her UnderThings.”

“While the staff has a peripheral understanding of the post-surgical needs of breast patients, they really need to know what is available so they can be sensitive and responsive to the needs of patients,” P explained in her nomination. “What Jeanine did was perfect for our staff. Because of her work, they were able to learn about an important aspect in the care of the breast cancer patient/survivor.”

During one of the staff education sessions, Lynch and Keto talked about some of the inspiring moments that have taken place as a result of these services being offered, including many instances where patients cried because they were so happy to be feeling good about how they looked again. Lynch continues to point out that in many cases, the products and services Keto provides are covered by insurance, something that many women in the North Country may not be aware of. And with more staff and providers now aware, there are additional opportunities for them to speak with their patients about post-surgical needs.

P offered much praise for Lynch’s work to educate staff and raise awareness in the community about Keto and her availability at CVPH, writing that this is just one example of her commitment and dedication to care for patients any way she can.

“She doesn’t hesitate to speak up when she sees a system that can be improved and is an advocate for patients and their families.”