Exceptional Care Leads To Exceptional Recognition For Three Mount Carmel Nurse Navigators

There are few things as scary as finding out you have cancer. And few people understand that feeling better than the nurses who are witness to it every day.

But if our true measure is not what happens to us but how we respond to it, there’s no one you’d want by your side in an unsettling moment like that than someone who understands the gravity of it and has the compassionate drive to see you to the other side of it.

Mount Carmel is incredibly fortunate to have dozens of nurses like that, and three of our dedicated Breast Oncology Nurse Navigators have recently been recognized for the comfort, calm, intelligence, efficiency, and energy they bring to our patients through the mental, emotional, physical, and logistical challenges of breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.

Sara Bickley, Karen Keil, and Kristi Derflinger all have been nominated for Navigator of the Year by local cancer support organization Cancer Support Community of Columbus. Bickley, who is the first navigator to receive two nominations in the same year, was presented with this year’s award.

“I am truly honored and deeply humbled to be nominated by my patients and recognized as Navigator of the Year by Cancer Support Community of Central Ohio,” said Bickley. “As a Breast Cancer Nurse Navigator, I have the privilege of walking alongside patients and their families at one of the most difficult times in their life. Hopefully my involvement helps them feel supported, informed, and empowered, which, in my experience, helps improve their outcomes and experience.”

She did both. One of her patient nominators said Bickley “made sure I had resources, listened, gave advice and then supported my decisions” and called her “thoughtful, patient and super supportive throughout this healing journey.”

Another patient lauded Bickley’s communication and persistence when it came to getting her quick answers and fast appointments. “I knew I could count on her to point me in the right direction. I’m so grateful to have her as someone who is compassionate and thorough about listening to my needs and following up with the right help at the right time.”

Keil’s patient nominator was equally effusive.

“Karen has been an incredible source of support, guidance, and compassion throughout my breast cancer journey. She has been by my side since my very first appointment and she has continued to be there through every stage of my treatment – not because she had to, but because she genuinely wanted to make sure I was supported. She has called me throughout my treatment just to check in and make sure I was doing OK. During the time when so much felt overwhelming and uncertain, Karen was someone I could count on.”

She added, “She has consistently made difficult things feel a little easier and has always made me feel like more than just another patient. Her kindness, compassion, accessibility, and genuine concern have made an enormous difference in my experience. I am incredibly grateful that Karen was my nurse navigator.”

It was humbling for Keil to hear.

“After reading her nomination, I was so flattered that I made that big of an impact on her journey with breast cancer,” she said. “As a nurse navigator, I always tell the patient I am the one person that follows them through their whole journey which can include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. They can always pick up the phone and call me if they have a question and I will find the answer for them.”

It’s been an incredibly rewarding career choice for Keil.

“Since my office is in the Cancer Center in Grove City, I am blessed to often be a part of the patient ‘ringing the bell’ that means the end of that treatment regimen,” she added. “Seeing the smiles and tears makes it worth all the difficult days in my job. This is definitely one of the most rewarding jobs I have had in my nursing career.”

Our Breast Oncology Nurse Navigators don’t just impact patients. They often make a difference for the physicians and staff who work alongside them. Derflinger learned that when she received her Navigator of the Year nomination from Mount Carmel breast surgeon Dr. Shilpa Padia.

“Being nominated was an absolute honor and so incredibly humbling,” she recalled. “I was humbled, emotional, excited, honored – just all the good words. And to have such a well-respected, incredible surgeon and all-around kindhearted soul like Dr. Padia take the time to nominate me is something I will never forget. It will forever be one of my most treasured moments in nursing.”

“When I accepted this position,” she continued, “I knew it was not just a ‘job.’ Being a breast cancer nurse is so much more. To be given the ability to walk alongside my patients, supporting them and their families is a privilege I never take for granted.”

That selflessness is part of what led Dr. Padia to nominate Derflinger.

“Kristi is a blessing to me, my patients, and our hospital,” the doctor raved. “Her kindness, compassion, and genuine love for her patients is unmatched. Although we are taught in healthcare to separate ourselves from our patients, Kristi has found the perfect balance between professionalism and care.”

“Her contribution to our breast cancer program is not just with patients,” Dr. Padia continued. “She is my lifeline. She attends our weekly tumor board conference and comments on each patient with regards to their current social situation and what programs she has set them up with. Her input is invaluable. She does not take her role lightly and our excellent outcomes are directly related to that.”

That goes for all the navigators in the program.

“It takes someone who's very compassionate and resilient to do important work like this,” said Mount Carmel Cancer Services Manager Nicole Wolf, “because you have to be able to handle a lot and take on some of the stresses that the patients and their families are feeling. It can be difficult at times.”

It’s also incredibly rewarding.

“Each year we put on a large breast cancer survivor event called Ladies Night Out,” Wolf said. “It’s one of my favorite days because I get to watch all of the patients rush up to their navigators and give them hugs and thank them for their care and the support they’ve received. It's just always overwhelming when they hear patients say, ‘I don't know how I would have made it through my cancer treatment or my surgery without you.’ They just feel really well supported and almost like a part of their family or a close friend that's been there for them through that journey.”

Because they are. And having them recognized for it is pretty rewarding, too.

To learn more about breast cancer care at Mount Carmel or connect with a Breast Nurse Navigator, visit our web page or call 614-546-HOPE.