Shelley Holzmann
October 2014
Shelley
Holzmann
,
RN
Allard Heredity Breast and Ovarian Clinic
Royal Alexandra Hospital
Edmonton
,
Alberta
Canada

 

 

 

Shelly is a founding member of a clinic that works with high risk female patients who have female breast and ovarian cancers.

Surgery and chemoprevention are the mainstays of treatment and women visit the clinic every 6 months for a clinical breast exam, mammogram, ultrasound, and/or MRI. Originally budgeted for 325 patients, the clinic now has more than 650 patients with a constant waiting list. Shelley works tirelessly to get these patients seen because she knows that delays may mean cancer and even death for these patients. Shelley is a warm and careful nurse, and has the ability to get patients to open up to her. As such the clinic has been able to address some of the post-surgical issues of sexuality, vasomotor symptoms of early surgical menopause and depression. Patients come to the clinic anxious and frightened and leave feeling comforted, informed and empowered. Shelley is the glue that holds the team together and makes the clinic run efficiently. The clinic sees over 25 to 30 patients in a morning clinic, and Shelley ensures that every patient is welcomed and attended to. Her attention to detail reveals the hours of preparation work.