Women Acting Up: Gretchen Framel, breast health navigator
October 1, 2009 by admin
Filed under Inspiration U, Women Acting Up
While the national statistics for women diagnosed breast cancer is one in eight, Gretchen Framel knows Boulder County’s numbers to be dramatically higher: one in six. Although the reasoning behind the larger percentage in Boulder is unknown, the realization is clear.
According to the U.S. Census, more than 140,000 women live in Boulder County, meaning more than 20 thousand of them may potentially face breast cancer in their lifetimes.
When diagnosed with breast cancer, a multitude of questions arise — questions breast health navigator Gretchen Framel, 50, of Boulder, dedicated her career to answer.
The term “breast health navigator” may be unfamiliar, but it shouldn’t be. Framel’s position at the Boulder Community Hospital includes offering educational resources concentrating on the patient’s specific diagnosis, providing information about types of treatment, and pointing direction toward financial and emotional resources — all at no cost. The program is funded by the Boulder Community Hospital.
“People with a diagnosis often feel overwhelmed,” Framel says. “They feel lost. They feel scared … the navigator can step in and help them figure out what do they need as far as resources.”
Framel started her 14-year career as a nurse after witnessing her mother-in-law suffer and pass away from breast cancer. Nine years ago, Framel received her oncology certification, and since has worked directly with patients’ needs and also in oncology research.
“She’s very educated in this field,” says Angela Swilpa, 50, of Boulder who volunteers for Framel. “She’s very compassionate, she has a lot of information and she’s a great listener, which is a lot of help to women going through this. She’s a great resource.”
Swilpa was diagnosed with cancer eight years ago. When she found out, there was no breast health navigator.
“I felt like, boy, I really wish I had someone like that when I found out I had cancer,” Swilpa says. Someone who could teach her the language of cancer, understanding words like “radiology” or “genetic counseling.”
Someone who could inform her about the Susan G. Komen funding and other financial aid options. Someone who would be there before surgery, in the waiting room with family members during surgery and at the bedside after surgery.
Framel wears a patient pager every hour of every day.
“I realize life can be really short, and when I see people around me with a diagnosis of cancer, I just want to take time to be with them,” Framel says.
In 2006, Framel started a support group, Breast Cancer and Beyond, that offers emotional support and a discussion forum for women with breast cancer and their spouses. Understanding the necessity for mental health services, Framel also guides patients toward counseling opportunities and integrated care at the hospital, such as yoga and massages.
“We try not to make them feel like a number, but that an important person just came in the door,” Framel says. “And if it were your mother, or your father, or your daughter, you would want them to have that kind of treatment.”
— By Caroline Seib
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