A centerpiece of Baptist Health Care’s new $700-million hospital campus in Pensacola is its Cancer Institute, accredited by the American College of Surgeons’ National Association Program for Breast Centers. FLORIDA TREND recently interviewed Kelly Ward, a breast cancer patient navigator, and Kathy Saldana, a breast cancer patient and BHC employee, about their interaction during Saldana’s diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
WARD: My role as a navigator is as soon as the patient is diagnosed with breast cancer, I step in and become the key source of support — someone they can call with any questions, concerns, barriers to care whether it’s a surgery question or an oncology question. I’m their one-point contact throughout their entire journey.
SALDANA: My health care background is in hospice and advance care planning, and that training had me prepared to face the possibility of not surviving my diagnosis of Stage 3 Triple Negative breast cancer. But there was nothing that could have prepared me to cope with the terrifying journey of cancer treatment; you just have to do that when you’re forced to.
WARD: Our new hospital facilities provide our breast cancer patients with a much more streamlined and centralized treatment facility. Now, with the Oncology department, you check in at the exact same place where you’re getting radiation, getting chemotherapy, where you’re seeing the medical oncologist. Our patient navigator’s office is also housed on the same floor, which makes it much easier to see patients when we’re making our rounds.
SALDANA: It’s strange now to reflect back on the worst thing I’ve ever gone through and remember much of it so warmly. But I do remember laughing nearly every time I met with my oncologist who brought humor and warmth to every single appointment, and I remember sharing the same humor and warmth with Kelly Ward throughout my diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
SALDANA: When I was told there was ‘no residual cancer,’ I started looking at all the shirts and hats online that cancer survivors wear. But nothing stood out to me. That’s when I came up with the idea of declaring victory by creating a lapel pin with a small pink ribbon and the Latin words, 'veni, vidi, vici,' (I came, I saw, I conquered). These pins are just my tiny contribution to the pink sisterhood that sustains those of us who never wanted to be a part of it, but take our membership very seriously.