Nurse practitioner Kathleen Lutz is recognized for her commitment to patients.
Photo: Juliana Thomas
Kathleen Lutz, a nurse practitioner in gynecologic oncology at 嘿嘿视频鈥檚 Perlmutter Cancer Center, was recently highlighted by Oncology Nursing News as an 鈥淥ncology Nursing Champion鈥 for her long career of supportive and excellent care. She was interviewed on her love and commitment to what she does, discussing how the field and patient outcomes have changed drastically over the years.
Lutz started practicing nursing in 1988 after graduating from Molloy College in Rockville Centre in New York. By 1998, she was the third NP credentialed nurse, and the first NP in obstetrics and gynecology at 嘿嘿视频 Health.
Oncology nurses help their patients through an avalanche of challenges. 鈥淥ne of the big challenges is when we have a patient with no social support,鈥 Lutz says. 鈥淚t means getting creative and finding the resources to get them back and forth to appointments and getting them medications.鈥 She explains that patients without support systems need daily phone calls and more frequent home care visits to ensure that somebody is checking in on a regular basis.
Her enthusiasm for patients鈥 wellbeing is clear to all who know her. Bhavana Pothuri, MD, who works at 嘿嘿视频 with Lutz, says, 鈥淜athleen is extraordinary in her commitment to the care of the gynecologic oncology patient and is most deserving of this recognition. I have worked with her for 15 years and can say she is undoubtedly the most dedicated nurse I have ever worked with.鈥
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lutz helped orchestrate infusion appointments locally when going to New York City was not feasible for patients. This involved spending many hours on the phone with patients to arrange for them to receive their chemotherapy at Perlmutter Cancer Center Infusion Center at 嘿嘿视频鈥120 Mineola Boulevard.
Lutz understands that oncology nurses have to be 100 percent invested in what they do to be successful. She knows it is that level of commitment that makes her team what she calls 鈥渁 successful family鈥 and is happy to say she loves being an oncology advanced practice nurse.
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