From left: KATHERINE FROMM, M.S.W., B.S.N., RN, OCN, and DR. CARDINALE B. SMITH
PHOTOS BY BEN HIDER
I’m honored to appoint Katherine Fromm, B.S.N., M.S.W., RN, OCN, or as we affectionately name her, Katie, for the CURE Extraordinary Healer Award. Katie is the scientific nurse supervisor for oncology navigation on the Tisch Most cancers Heart at Mount Sinai, and I’ve had the privilege of realizing her for over 15 years, first assembly once I was an oncology fellow, and he or she was an infusion nurse in our fellows’ clinic.
By means of introduction, I’m a professor within the Division of Hematology/Medical Oncology and Brookdale Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Drugs on the Icahn Faculty of Drugs at Mount Sinai; chief medical officer for the Tisch Most cancers Hospital; chief high quality officer for the Mount Sinai Well being System; and vice chairman of Most cancers Scientific Affairs for the Tisch Most cancers Heart at Mount Sinai. In her over 20 years in oncology nursing, Katie has demonstrated excellent compassion, experience and selflessness in making certain sufferers obtain high-quality, equitable care.
Earlier than changing into a nurse, Katie had a ardour for serving to underserved communities, which blossomed throughout her Grasp of Social Work program at Columbia College. She labored as an oncology social employee for a number of years. Nevertheless, Katie sought to offer extra complete care and have become a registered nurse, leveraging each ability units to handle sufferers’ medical, emotional and socioeconomic wants, a path that may carry her to her present position main oncology affected person navigation for our well being system.
I first met Katie 15 years in the past as a younger infusion nurse in our oncology fellows’ clinic — an under-resourced observe in New York Metropolis largely serving sufferers with Medicaid and those that had been uninsured. Even throughout these early days, Katie demonstrated a unprecedented dedication to her sufferers.
Katie rapidly turned the guts of our clinic, staying late to finish incapacity purposes so sufferers might entry lifesaving or life-prolonging remedies. She assisted with transportation, little one care, incapacity, housing points and extra so sufferers might proceed chemotherapy. Katie offered in-depth instructing and counseling to empower frightened, overwhelmed sufferers and their caregivers. Via artistic grassroots efforts, Katie obtained wigs and headscarves to help sufferers experiencing hair loss. Her selfless dedication and considerate resourcefulness had been extraordinary. Wanting again, I can see how her background in oncology social work would later turn into the driving pressure in her ardour for oncology nursing navigation.
In my capability as chief medical officer and vice chairman for Most cancers Scientific Affairs, I had the distinct privilege of recruiting Katie again to our staff to spearhead the event of our navigation program. Now because the Tisch Most cancers Heart at Mount Sinai’s first-ever scientific nurse supervisor of oncology navigation, Katie has applied transformational systemwide adjustments round affected person navigation. She pioneered navigation infrastructure the place none existed, and standardized screening, workers coaching and care coordination workflows. Katie mentors roughly 10 navigators, instilling her values of well being fairness and patient-centered care. She collaborates on group outreach, most cancers screening and danger discount schooling in underserved communities. She prioritizes addressing limitations to care, superior care directives and scientific trials to enhance scientific outcomes for these usually underrepresented. Katie is the guts and soul of navigation at Mount Sinai, making certain marginalized sufferers by no means slip by the cracks.
Beneath her distinctive management in oncology navigation, the impression on affected person outcomes has been nothing in need of transformative. Via her strategic steerage, this system has efficiently secured grants aimed toward assuaging monetary burdens for sufferers, making certain they obtain well timed and complete care. These grants have turn into a lifeline for people going through financial challenges, enabling them to entry important remedies, medicines and help companies that may have in any other case been unattainable.
Katie’s visionary method extends past medical help, as she has performed a pivotal position in additional formally addressing the social drivers of well being. One notable initiative consists of offering transportation help for sufferers, making certain they’ll entry care with out the burden of logistical challenges. This complete method displays Katie’s dedication to addressing the multifaceted wants of sufferers, fostering a holistic and supportive setting that goes past conventional medical care. The ripple impact of her efforts is clear within the improved well-being and resilience of the people she serves, making her a real catalyst for constructive change within the realm of oncology navigation.
In abstract, Katie Fromm is the embodiment of a unprecedented healer. Her journey from an infusion nurse, workplace observe nurse and now to a nurse navigator displays her all-encompassing method to most cancers care within the nursing position and showcases her unwavering dedication to the well-being of oncology sufferers. She is not only a nurse; she is a beacon of hope and help for these navigating the difficult path of most cancers. Her impression on our navigation program has been distinctive, and I’m proud not solely to have her on our staff however to additionally name her a pal.
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