ACC Nurse Celebrated for Caring Connections
For 14 years, Laetitia Simeral, CRNP, a nurse practitioner for the Sarcoma Program at the Abramson Cancer Center at PAH, has been an expert guide, a compassionate cheerleader, and a listening ear for patients with sarcoma, a rare cancer that develops in bones and soft tissue. Her mission is to “help people navigate that really dark place" that can come from a cancer diagnosis and "shed some light” by linking them with resources and taking the time to build meaningful relationships throughout their journey.
For a patient named David, that connection continued even after he passed away. As David’s disease progressed, and he chose to stop treatment, Simeral was by his side swapping travel stories and ensuring his quality of life was the best it could be. This spring, David’s partner expressed their gratitude for the special relationship the three of them cultivated by nominating Simeral for Independence Blue Cross’s Celebrate Caring campaign. The campaign, which honors extraordinary nurses in the region who have touched peers and patients alike, received more than 1,100 nominations this year, and she was named an honoree — a surprise that left her deeply emotional.
“It’s one thing to hope that you’re having a positive impact, but it’s another thing for a patient’s family to actually say it,” Simeral said. “No one can navigate cancer alone, and being able to get to know and support these patients and families is such an incredible privilege. I do this work every day, and it can be tough, but this nomination helped me take a step back and see that our team really is making a difference.”
Bridging Gaps and Building Health Literacy
Rates of breast reconstruction among patients who have undergone mastectomies continue to rise, but women of color, and particularly Black women, are less likely to pursue reconstruction, despite the demonstrated quality of life benefits. Olatomide Familusi, MD, MS, a fifth-year Plastic Surgery resident, recently published research in Supportive Care in Cancer exploring how clinicians can address these disparities through community engagement and patient education.
From 2017 to 2019, the Plastic Surgery division and the Abramson Cancer Center teamed up with local churches to host annual symposiums featuring lectures on breast health, cancer, and reconstruction, Q&As, patient testimonials, and exhibitor fairs. Due to mistrust stemming from historical medical experimentation and discrimination, many women of color “need to be approached in a nuanced, community-based, and culturally competent way,” Familusi said.
It worked. Post-symposium surveys showed 92 percent of respondents found the event useful, and many previous attendees returned the following years with family members and friends, indicating their investment in sharing this information with their communities. Familusi was set to present this excellent research at this year’s Society of Black Academic Surgeons (SBAS) meeting, but it was canceled due to COVID-19. Still, the SBAS committee noted that her abstract was among their top 5 submissions.
“We’ve been working on this for a long time, so I’m really grateful to receive this recognition,” she said. “But the real happiness and fulfillment came from hearing patients say they felt like they really got something out of these symposiums. The goal isn’t necessarily to get more patients to choose breast reconstruction, but to empower them to make the decisions that are right for them.”