Ozarks Profile: June Johnson

Tell us about your specific area of practice.

I've been at the Hulston Cancer Center for two years developing the support services department. Support services is a collection of activities focused primarily on the cancer outpatient. Much of a cancer patient's treatment actually occurs as an outpatient, and there is a strong need for a variety of services during that time.

One of the areas support services includes is the cancer registry. We have three certified tumor registrars who collect information about cancer patients beginning at the time of diagnosis and continuing throughout their lifetime.

Also included in support services is our patient advocacy program. Through this program, which is paid for by the Glauser Oncology Fund at CoxHealth, we link patients to resources within our health system and in the community.

Community education is another part of support services. In January, we opened the Allenbrand Resource Center and Library at Hulston Cancer Center. The center is open to the public, and we offer books, audio and video tapes, as well as free Internet connection. We have a full-time nurse educator who provides cancer education to community groups and within our cancer center.

What's your educational background?

I attended nursing school at Burge School of Nursing (now Cox College). I have a bachelor's degree in nursing from Southwest Baptist University.

What do you do?

Within my department, I am responsible for the day-to-day operations. I supervise the employees, and develop and monitor the budget. For the cancer center, I am responsible for publication of our annual report and for ensuring compliance with the standards of our accrediting body the American College of Surgeons. My other responsibilities include marketing of the cancer center and assisting with fund raising and the development of new services.

Why did you choose this particular area of medicine?

I don't really think I did choose this area career opportunities led me in this direction. I started working at CoxHealth 17 years ago as a staff nurse in obstetrics. After about nine years as a staff nurse, I worked in our quality-resource department for two years. ... Although it was extremely difficult to leave bedside nursing, I discovered that I could affect larger numbers of patients through working with physicians, staff and administrators on projects to improve care to entire patient populations.

I left that department when I was offered an opportunity to work at The Women's Center. This was my first position focused on the outpatient population, and it also gave me my first experience in management.

I left The Women's Center in 2001 to develop the new support services department for the Hulston Cancer Center.

What challenges do you face in your work?

The biggest overall challenge would have to be diminishing health care dollars. Health care providers have to be vigilant about cost containment and about ensuring that it does not negatively impact the quality of the care provided.

Personally, time is my primary challenge. I have to work very hard to make sure that my own busy schedule does not cause me to slight the most important aspects of my job the people who work for me and the patients we are here to serve. When you are busy, it is very easy to bustle through the department without stopping to look at a picture of a new grandchild or to assist a patient to find their car in the parking lot.