World Cancer Day: The people guiding patients through cancer care

World Cancer Day, recognized every year on February 4, is a moment to honor the resilience and strength of every person affected by cancer. HCA Healthcare’s Sarah Cannon Cancer Network is transforming how cancer care is delivered globally. Every year, Sarah Cannon oncology teams care for more than 130,000 patients annually in the United States and United Kingdom.

“On World Cancer Day, we reflect on both our progress and the work ahead,” says Dr. Dax Kurbegov, senior vice president for HCA Healthcare’s Sarah Cannon Cancer Network. “Across HCA Healthcare, our clinicians are dedicated to advancing cancer care with innovative, patient‑focused treatments. We continue to expand treatment options – from robotic surgery to advanced radiation technologies and emerging approaches like histotripsy.”

This year’s World Cancer Day campaign, “United by Unique,” emphasizes that cancer is far more than a medical diagnosis – it is a deeply personal journey shaped by each individual’s story, emotions and needs. The theme calls for a people-centered approach to cancer care, reminding us that every experience is unique and that meaningful progress will require all of us, united, to look beyond the disease and see the person.

That commitment is brought to life every day by HCA Healthcare’s more than 190 dedicated Sarah Cannon nurse navigators, who provide personalized guidance, compassion and support to patients throughout their cancer journey.

What is a nurse navigator?

Throughout the cancer journey, a cancer patient can see up to eight different cancer experts from diagnosis through recovery. Sarah Cannon’s specially trained nurse navigators assist patients through their journeys, connecting them with healthcare team members, answering questions related to their treatment plan and helping them digest new information. With compassion and knowledge of a patient’s unique cancer, nurse navigators serve as an anchor for support and information through the continuum of care.

Sarah Cannon nurse navigators:

• Reinforce patient education on cancer types, treatment options and clinical trial availability
• Coordinate office appointments across medical disciplines to streamline cancer care delivery
• Facilitate communication between all members of the healthcare team
• Participate in multidisciplinary team conferences to promote collaboration in cancer treatment
• Provide a personalized touch to cancer care by attending patient appointments, assessing patients needs and relaying relevant information to providers
• Serve as an ongoing source of support for patients, and are available to answer ongoing questions
• Help decrease barriers to care by assessing needs and linking patients with support groups and community resources

Most importantly, they are compassionate partners throughout the journey, providing clarity, comfort and unwavering support from diagnosis through treatment and survivorship.

Over the past decade, patient navigation has become a critical component of oncology care, now recognized as essential by major accreditation bodies. However, its widespread adoption goes beyond regulatory requirements. Research has consistently shown that navigation leads to tangible clinical benefits, including earlier diagnoses, increased adherence to the recommended treatment plan and more timely follow-up, all while improving the overall patient experience.

Did you know? In 2026, the HCA Healthcare Foundation, in partnership with the American Cancer Society, is investing $240,000 to support six Hope Lodge® communities across the U.S. This investment helps provide nutritious meals, food security resources and meaningful volunteer‑led engagement-care that goes beyond medicine to support the whole person during treatment. The supported Hope Lodge locations serve patients and families in: Charleston, Nashville, Houston, Kansas City, Salt Lake City and Tampa.

Below, we introduce you to four Sarah Cannon oncology nurse navigators whose personal experiences with cancer deeply influence the way they care for others – on World Cancer Day and every day.

The oncology nurse navigators whose own stories guide the way they care

Vashti Nugent, RN
HCA Healthcare’s North Florida Division

For more than three decades, Vashti Nugent has cared for patients as a nurse in the Ocala, Florida community – and for the past 16 of those years, she has also done so as a stage IV breast cancer survivor.

Her diagnosis in July 2009 revealed stage IV breast cancer with metastasis to her spine, hips, sternum and lymph nodes. As a wife and mother of two young daughters, Vashti sought multiple opinions to confirm her diagnosis and determine the best course of treatment. She ultimately underwent a double mastectomy with reconstruction, chemotherapy and radiation, reassured that her local oncologist’s plan aligned closely with top national specialists.

Today, she supports cancer patients as a breast oncology nurse navigator at the very hospitals where she received her own life-saving care – HCA Florida West Marion Hospital and HCA Florida Ocala Hospital. Working full time throughout her treatment while raising her daughters gave her a powerful perspective her patients immediately recognize.

“I relate to my patients in a unique way, in that my perspective is not only one of expertise in nursing and oncology, but also as a breast cancer survivor,” Vashti explained. “They see themselves in me, and it offers them hope to see me thriving and helping patients with their own journeys. People hear all the time, ‘I know what you’re going through.’ When I tell them this and they hear my story, they understand that I really do know what they’re going through. That is what lays the foundation of trust in our patient and navigator relationship.”

Removing barriers to care is a key part of her role. Vashti collaborates with community partners to connect patients with resources they otherwise may never have known about. She also created a “hope chest” filled with tissue expanders, fill kits and implants – a hands-on way to help understand what to expect before reconstructive surgery.  

For Vashti, the greatest lesson cancer has taught her is simple: life is about living. And she reminds each patient: “You are a survivor the day you are diagnosed. That is the day you start fighting.”

Lindsey Reed, BSN, RN, OCN
HCA Healthcare’s MidAmerica Division

Lindsey Reed leads oncology navigation for seven Kansas City-area hospitals in the MidAmerica Division of the HCA Healthcare’s Sarah Cannon Cancer Network. With more than two decades of oncology nursing experience — along with personal experiences that have shaped her perspective — she brings both deep expertise and genuine empathy to every patient she serves.

Her interest in oncology began while in nursing school, when a loved one’s breast cancer diagnosis introduced her to the complexities of the disease. As she built her nursing career at HCA Healthcare, Lindsey became a trusted resource for friends and family when cancer touched their lives. That experience became even more In 2023 when her father was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Supporting him through treatment, she relied on the same clinical skills and compassionate instincts she uses with her patients each day. “I wasn’t doing anything special,” she says. “I was simply doing what I do for every day for others,” Lindsey said.

Relationship-building is central to her work. She often reflects on Theodore Roosevelt’s well-known belief that “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” With that in mind, she focuses on getting to know each patient as a unique individual. “Just remembering small details about the patient are important,” she said. “I try to treat all my patients like they are my mom, dad, sister or brother.”

Lindsey is continually inspired by the resilience within the cancer community. She describes as “a club that nobody wants to be a part of,” yet one that can be profoundly life changing. Through her work, she has witnessed how many patients developed renewed appreciation for everyday moments and learn to make the most of each day with few regrets.

Although many assume oncology work is defined by sadness, Lindsey sees something much broader and richer. People regularly tell her, “Wow, you work in oncology, that must be really sad,” but she’s quick to point out that the uplifting moments often outweigh the hard ones. For her, supporting patients through these experiences is deeply rewarding – and a major reason she “can’t imagine working in another field. Cancer patients are truly inspiring.”

Kara Moates, MSN, BS, RN
HCA Healthcare’s West Florida Division

Kara Moates serves as an oncology nurse navigator at HCA Florida Blake Hospital, supporting HCA Healthcare breast cancer patients. For the past three years, she has guided patients through complex decisions, connected them with critical resources and stood beside them during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.

Kara’s connection to cancer is deeply personal. Ten years ago, her husband was diagnosed with stage IV head and neck cancer. She spent a year supporting him through treatment before his passing – an experience that shaped her understanding of what it means to truly walk with someone through a cancer journey. “No one should ever have to fight cancer alone,” she shared.

In the past year, Kara faced her own cancer diagnosis with invasive melanoma. “I was fortunate to only need general surgery and have one lymph node removed, but the anxiety and stress that I went through was a lot,” she said. The anxiety, uncertainty and fast pace of care gave her new insight into what patients feel. Frequent skin checks and the lingering fear of recurrence have further deepened her empathy. “It’s put life into a better perspective,” she says.

As a navigator, Kara works to reduce the burden of cancer by helping patients in several different ways. “I think that is what is unique about navigation, you have that nursing piece to help patients understand the diagnosis and the treatment options, but you also provide that psychosocial piece when it comes to nursing such as therapeutic communication and active listening,” she said. “Patients just want to be heard and feel that their feelings are validated on this journey.”

She believes cancer teaches people not to take life for granted and emphasizes that while every journey is unique, families and loved ones share in the impact. “The impact that cancer leaves on the support system of a cancer patient is something that lasts a lifetime,” she said.  

Ilynn Laxamana, RN
HCA Healthcare’s Far West Division

HCA Healthcare gastrointestinal oncology nurse navigator Ilynn Laxamana guides patients and families through some of the most challenging moments of their lives at both Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center and Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas. Her approach is rooted in compassion, clarity and presence – qualities shaped not only by her professional expertise but also by her personal journey.

“I currently have stage 4 metastatic breast cancer,” Ilynn shared. Navigating her own diagnosis while caring for others gives a unique perspective and a profound understanding of the fears, uncertainties and hopes that often accompany cancer diagnoses. In her navigator role, Ilynn focuses on easing the burdens for patients and families in ways that are both practical and deeply human.

One message Ilynn wishes more people understood is that a cancer diagnosis does not define who someone is. It does not diminish their identity or their ability to contribute to the world around them. “We are normal people too, and we are still capable of doing productive things like working and contributing to society,” Ilynn said.

Through her work and her own experience, Ilynn carries forward lessons of humility and gratitude. “I am lucky to be alive,” she reflects. And while every cancer patient’s journey is unique, she sees a common thread running through them all: “A shared drive to get well and determination amidst the challenges of having cancer.”