Meg Helsley, MSN, RN, AOCNS Receives 2015 Kohlenberg Award

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Pictured: (l-r) Larry Goldman, Sherry’s widower; Meg Helsley, MSN, RN, AOCNS; Katy Sawyer, VBCF Executive Director

Meg Helsley, MSN, RN, AOCNS is the recipient of the 2015 Sharon (Sherry) H. Kohlenberg Healthcare Service Award from the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation (VBCF). Ms. Helsley is an Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist at The Cancer Center of Henrico Doctors’ Hospital (HDH). She is the organizer and founding member of HDH’s weekly multi-disciplinary breast cancer conference comprised of breast cancer physicians, nurses, social workers, and counselors. The goal of these meetings is to discuss and coordinate current patients’ needs to offer quality, timely care in a one-appointment setting. She was nominated by five individuals including her supervisor, work colleagues, and a volunteer/former patient. Since 1995, the VBCF has presented the Kohlenberg Award annually to recognize individuals employed in the healthcare field who exhibit a deep and abiding commitment to the fight against breast cancer.

Ms. Helsley’s work is multi-faceted. She serves as a genetics nurse educator; obtaining people’s medical history extending through their family and in collaboration with her physician partner identifying which, if any, genetics tests should be performed and then explaining results of history and testing to patients. She provides consultation to HDH’s Every Woman’s Life program leader and hospital oncology leaders to identify resources appropriate for patients in financial need. Ms. Helsley also developed an advanced stage breast cancer support group, recognizing that patients with late-stage disease needed a group dedicated to their needs and concerns. Additionally, she co-created the “Hallway of Hope” at HDH with a former breast cancer patient who wanted to liven up the drab walkway between the parking lot and radiation therapy office. Together, they received administration approval to display rotating children’s artwork from Henrico County Schools’ students, reflecting the children’s answer to “What Makes You Happy?”

One nominator expressed that Ms. Helsley’s baseline is “going above and beyond.” In addition to her many contributions to HDH, she is the president of the Richmond Area Oncology Nursing Society, mother of three children, and long-term survivor of a childhood cancer.  She has served on the advisory board for Camp Kesem University of Richmond since its start in 2008. Camp Kesem supports the often-overlooked population of children affected by a parent’s cancer through a national network of summer camps run by passionate college student leaders.

Given in the past to a wide range of healthcare providers – from surgeons to nurses to social workers – the Kohlenberg Award enables VBCF to recognize providers who have gone above and beyond to support those affected by breast cancer. The award honors the memory of Sherry Kohlenberg, a healthcare administrator and co-founder of the VBCF, who died from breast cancer in 1993. Ms. Helsley will be presented with this award on October 26, 2015 at 8:00am at the Henrico Doctors’ Hospital Think Tank, 7611 Forest Avenue, Suite 320, Richmond, VA. Previous recipients from the Richmond area include but are not limited to Harry Bear, MD and Tom Smith, MD (1995); Ellen Shaw de Paredes, MD (2001); Mary Helen Hackney, MD (2005); the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Breast Cancer Genetics Team (2006); and George Knaysi, MD (2009).