Despite Barriers and Naysayers, Former Hospital Unit Secretary Is Now a Sylvester Nurse Practitioner With a Doctorate

Newswise — MIAMI (Nov. 1, 2023) - Anastasia Santiago, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, AOCNP, began life in a modest Miami neighborhood with few opportunities. While working in her early 20s as a hospital unit secretary, she was impressed by the strength and work ethic of the nurses, and determined to pursue a career in nursing, herself.

Despite naysayers and a circuitous path with multiple obstacles, Santiago persevered. Working full-time at night while attending classes in the day, she earned her two-year degree, then followed the same punishing schedule as she went on to earn bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.

That persistence in overcoming barriers inform the care she now provides at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of UHealth — University of Miami Health System.

The eldest child of adoptive parents, Santiago was charged with caring for younger siblings. And it was in that home environment that she discovered she was a natural caretaker, finding the skills necessary to her calling when her grandmother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

“Because of my own childhood challenges, I feel I can read between the lines and see beyond what’s right in front of me,” said Santiago. “When a patient comes to us, I understand that they have their own personal struggles and cancer has just added to that.”

Today, Santiago is the advanced practice provider supervisor for Sylvester’s Division of Hematology and a malignant hematology nurse practitioner who supervises the care coordination of clinics in the Leukemia Program. She makes sure the interdisciplinary plan of care is executed without a hitch, from transportation to supportive care.

In this capacity, she works closely with Mikkael A. Sekeres, M.D., M.S., considered one of the world’s foremost experts on leukemia, and chief of the Division of Hematology at Sylvester.

According to Sekeres, Santiago’s empathy for patients goes above and beyond the call of duty.

“She knows who they are, understands the medical and sociodemographic challenges they may face, and is able to problem-solve brilliantly as they forge a path to treatment of their cancers,” he says.

As an oncology nurse practitioner, Santiago has learned some hard truths — not all therapies work, and incurable disease remains a fact of life. She also knows that providing quality time for a patient and the patient’s family is an important part of her job.

“You have to break the bad news gently, and then you have to help them work through their grief,” she said.

At the same time, she is also aware of the importance of developing a process for coping with her own sense of loss and sadness when those situations inevitably occur.

“It’s not easy, but you have to do it,” Santiago said. “You keep in mind that you may lose a patient to an incurable disease, but you have other patients and other battles to fight.”

Loss also tends to make success sweeter. One patient, a woman in her early 20s and already fighting acute leukemia, flew from out of state to receive treatment. Now in remission, she told Santiago that she decided to go to nursing school because she wants to help people.

“I like to think our work influenced her to pay it forward,” Santiago said.

Read more about Dr. Santiago on the InventUM blog and follow @SylvesterCancer on X for the latest news about Sylvester’s exceptional research and care.  

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