Laura Vogeli, R.N.
Fear, confusion, anxiety – someone newly diagnosed with cancer is no stranger to these feelings. Fortunately for patients at Stony Brook’s Carol M. Baldwin Breast Care Center, Laura Vogeli, R.N. is there to guide them step-by-step on their journey. The women who count on her for help “are amazing people,” she says. “It’s an honor to be an advocate for them.”
As a breast cancer nurse navigator, Laura is one of the first contacts for new patients. She coordinates their appointments, and helps them gather all the information they need when they see a surgeon or medical oncologist. But mostly, she puts a human face on the system by listening and sharing.
In those early days after a cancer diagnosis, many patients ask Laura, “Why me? How did this happen?” With compassion and care, she helps them process their emotions. Patients need to absorb much information at this difficult time “and there are a lot of things they don’t catch. And that’s very normal,” Laura says. She helps people understand their new reality with education and referrals to financial help or social work services. As patients progress through their treatments, “they can call me at any time,” she says.
Laura recently received the Pura Pantojas Award for nursing excellence and outstanding contributions to her profession. After four years as a nurse navigator, she calls her job “wonderful and rewarding.”
To learn more about the nurse navigator program at the Stony Brook Cancer Center or to explore ways to help support their efforts, please contact Kate Kaming, Cancer Center Director of Development at 631-444-2604 or katherine.kaming@stonybrookmedicine.edu.