My mother was diagnosed with a fairly rare cancer, and the prescribed treatment was rather aggressive. This resulted in severe radiation burns to her groin and pelvic area. After a concerted effort for her to be evaluated, the burns were inspected, and she was referred to UHMC via the LOOP program. What followed was a rather harrowing adventure in the ER until finally landing in the Oncology area.

The first morning after admission, Cynthia was a very welcome breath of fresh air. She listened patiently to the saga that had landed us there and seemed concerned by the tale we described from the night prior. She reached out to patient advocacy on our behalf and quickly dove into assessing the situation to provide excellent care. When we explained that three people had unsuccessfully attempted to access my mom’s port the evening prior, resulting in her having an IV, Cynthia heard our explanation of my mom’s severe needle anxiety and confidently assured us she would be able to successfully access it. She nailed it on the first try! She was very attentive throughout the day and answered our myriad questions with ease. We were extremely happy to find out that while she would not be in tomorrow, she would be returning the following day. Upon her return, she heard that we had not yet heard from patient advocacy and went to their offices, facilitating a prompt meeting with Danielle Allen. Cynthia was also an excellent advocate for my mother with the providers; when reaching out to them, she didn’t just express the concerns but made recommendations for medications to assist with them. As medications were prescribed, removed, administered, and modified, she was able to concisely and thoroughly describe each one to us and illustrate optimal timings for effectiveness. Even after rushing around for a code and changing her scrubs, Cynthia was the picture of professionalism and had a collected demeanor. She even offered assistance and recommendations when we had questions about interfacing with the Cancer Center and planning for my mother’s return to radiation treatment. Cynthia helped a stressful, scary, exhausting, several days to be much more comfortable and relaxed. Not only was she highly technically adept, but she was also pleasant and personable throughout our multi-day stay.