From left: Katherine Mast Hagemann, B.S.N., RN, and Dr. Andrew Kuykendall
The present atmosphere in oncology (and medication on the whole) incentivizes hurried, impersonal care that prioritizes algorithmic over individualized decision-making. Effectivity is inspired, and there appears to be little time to look a sufferers within the eye, maintain their arms, and ask, “How are you doing?” It takes time to ask, and it invitations a solution that would take for much longer. All of the whereas, documentation is delayed, emails flood in, administrative duties construct up and work days get extended.
Katherine Hagemann has refused to let any of these issues cease her from asking that query. However extra importantly, Katherine has refused to let any of these issues cease her from listening to the reply.
Katherine has been my major nurse in our specialised clinic the place we focus virtually totally on sufferers with myeloproliferative neoplasms and systemic mastocytosis. These are sufferers with extraordinarily uncommon persistent leukemias that lead to irregular blood cell counts, debilitating constitutional signs and poor high quality of life. Sufferers journey vital distances to obtain an correct analysis, higher perceive their situation, receive remedy suggestions and perceive how this new actuality impacts their previous actuality.
Katherine Mast Hagemann, B.S.N., RN, and Dr. Andrew Kuykendall
Though many oncologists (myself very a lot included) hold the give attention to the illness — its analysis, remedy choices, execution of remedy — Katherine has an beautiful intuition for understanding that there’s a context to every affected person’s analysis that’s simply as necessary to know. In our clinic, we name them “emotional assist visits” or ESVs for brief. That’s when Katherine returns from a affected person’s room earlier than I’ve had the possibility to see them . My face usually displays the confusion and frustration of somebody who looks like they’re working behind. She’ll take a look at me and say, “We had an ESV.” The implications of this assertion have change into clear. What I could initially see as misplaced or wasted time is, in reality, the precise reverse. The time she spends in an ESV will probably be cherished by the affected person in a manner that may in the end pay dividends sooner or later. No matter what I speak about with that affected person within the time that follows, they are going to go away the appointment understanding that they have been heard as a result of Katherine took the time to actually hear.
Past this preternatural empathy and compassion, Katherine has a novel drive to know the uncommon illnesses we deal with. Her potential to distill advanced ideas and current them to sufferers in a manner they will perceive provides sufferers consolation and confidence as they navigate the unknown.
Within the more and more advanced atmosphere of most cancers care, Katherine Hagemann is a unicorn. She combines a powerful understanding of uncommon illnesses in a quickly evolving subject with a level of compassion that’s not often seen. Her potential to maintain the give attention to the affected person is a mannequin to which all of us ought to aspire. And, identical to a unicorn, I usually can’t imagine she’s actual. Katherine understands that the illness is only a element of the journey that sufferers with most cancers should journey and, importantly, Katherine helps sufferers perceive that it isn’t a journey they’re taking alone.
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