Stephanie was born to be a nurse patient advocate as evidenced by her clinical nursing experience as a pediatric nurse, then nurse practitioner and nurse educator in pediatric, adolescent, and young adult cancer care, including bone marrow transplant. Her subspecialty is the potential late effects of cancer treatment in the survivorship years.
As a 47 year survivor of childhood cancer, she offers a unique perspective and much insight into the patient experience as her clinical practice has always been informed by her lived experience as a child with cancer and [later] as a heart transplant candidate and subsequent recipient of a new heart in 2008.
Stephanie is well versed in clinical trials, all treatment modalities, treatment-related risks, and survivorship issues associated with both cancer and solid organ transplant. In addition to cancer care and organ transplant, she also advocates on behalf of with other chronic health concerns and conditions that impact an individual’s quality of life. She firmly believes that chronic health conditions approached as a part of the whole person empowers the individual while enhancing the quality of their lives. Her goals are consistently aligned with her clients’ goals under the overarching goal of equipping clients with self-advocacy skills and truly informed consent that allows individuals and their families to make decisions with confidence.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology from Furman University, a Bachelor’s degree in nursing from Johns Hopkins University, and a Master’s degree in nursing from the University of Florida.
Outside of her advocacy and care coordination role, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her husband of 32 years and their son. She enjoys reading, scrapbooking, parasailing, building relationships, and seeking to be an encouragement to others. She may be tiny, but she is quite tenacious when it comes to advocating on behalf of her clients.