Sueann Mark, MS, PhD, RN, AOCNS Spotlight
October 26, 2022
Sueann Mark, MS, PhD, RN, AOCNS, is a Radiology Specialty Programs Nurse Navigator in Breast Imaging. She also holds a faculty position in the School of Nursing, an appointment which is part of a unique pilot program with the UCSF Department of Radiology. Sueann said, “I love having both clinical practice and teaching. I’m kind of a poster child for UCSF. I got my nursing degree here, now I work here, and before any of that I was treated here.”
Sueann made her decision to enter nursing after she was diagnosed with breast cancer at 34. During her treatment, she was inspired by the nurses at UCSF who cared for her. As a patient, it was the nurses who always felt the most helpful to her, and Sueann decided she wanted to give back to the medical field which aided her in her own time of need and to take care of other people in a similar situation. At UCSF, she received her nursing training and completed her Masters work in the Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist program with minors in Genomics and Palliative Care.
Sueann said, “I thought, I would like to be able to give back to other patients going through this, and the best way would be through nursing. I love what the nurses at UCSF do and I am here and alive because of it.”
As a nurse navigator in breast imaging, Sueann is present with patients during crucial moments. She informs them of their diagnosis, guides them through their biopsy process, and gets them set up for treatment. Throughout this, she provides patient education, letting the patients know what to expect when they come in for their appointments so they can formulate questions and show up knowledgeable with the ability to advocate for themselves.
“I know, through personal experience, how stressful the process can be. My role as a navigator allows me to make that entire path a little easier. We know that the more involved patients are in the entire sequence, the more satisfied they are with their treatment and the better the medical outcomes we see. You never know where your patients are going to be in their experience, what mindset they will be in when you interact with them and how they will react to or process the news they receive. I know I must be able to adapt my work to wherever my patient may be along that spectrum of shock to acceptance. If you go in humbly to meet the patient where they are, then you will be able to serve them well.”
Viewing the entire professional atmosphere of UCSF from the perspective of a patient encouraged Sueann in her transition to nursing, but there was one person in particular who provided the greatest personal inspiration. Deborah Hamolsky, RN, MS, was a clinical nurse specialist in the Breast Care Center during Sueann’s treatment. “She took care of me during my treatments, and she took the time to really listen to me, which I needed in that moment. Her role in caring for patients, that was the inspiration for me to become a nurse.”
Debbie has since retired but she and Sueann are still in contact. “Debbie comes in as a guest speaker in some of my classes at the School of Nursing. It’s nice to be able to continue having her around for her energy and inspiration.”
From soon after Sueann completed her own cancer treatment, she began to help others and became deeply involved in breast cancer advocacy with the Young Survival Coalition. She has now continued to bring her personal experience and professional training to the Bay Area Breast Science Advocacy Core.
“My most significant career advice came during nursing school. A clinical instructor told us to go out and be humble. That humility is the key.”
Sueann also contributes volunteer work with the organization Rad-Aid, an international non-profit that provides radiology services to low resource communities. Sueann works with them to help create a breast care training curriculum that was just launched in Guyana. She became involved after learning about the program from Dr. Tatiana Kelil, a faculty member in our breast imaging section.
Sueann said, “It’s really amazing to partner with the ministry of health in Guyana and help provide distance training documents. During the last training they had 45 participants from 10 different regions throughout their country. It’s amazing to be able to create that kind of curriculum, deliver it, and know that we are planting the seeds of high-quality care in places that may not have a lot of resources.”
Outside her profession in nursing and education, Sueann is a Giants fan with strong opinions about baseball management, a cyclist who took advantage of her relocation to San Francisco to give up car ownership, and an avid world traveler. She travels extensively with her dog, Ziggy, as her near constant road trip companion. Ziggy sat happily in a passenger seat all the way from the Bay to Oklahoma, as Sueann charted a course across the nation from dog park to dog park. Here in the city Ziggy is just as glad to join adventures from a basket on the back of a bike as Sueann journeys on to see everything this life has to offer.
