William Creasman, MD, considered one of the founding fathers of the subspecialty of gynecologic oncology, was hired by then-Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology chair Roy T. Parker, MD (now deceased), in 1970 as the first fellowship-trained gynecologic oncologist at Duke and was the founder of the department’s Division of Gynecologic Oncology in 1972. Creasman is currently a professor at the Medical University of South Carolina. (photo courtesy of Duke Medical Archives, circa the 1970s)
Leighanne Hartman, MSN, RN, AGNP-C, CHPN, CCRC, the clinical research nurse assigned to the MOUNTAINEER trial on day one (2017) made a special trip to see Elle at her infusion appointment on June 10, 2021. It had been over two years since they’d last seen each other and they had a lot to catch up on — new dogs, growing kids, and summer plans. For Hartman, the experience of working on MOUNTAINEER for two years and meeting Elle inspired a career change. In 2019, she went back to school to earn nurse practitioner certification so she could engage with more hands-on patient care.“Upon first meeting Elle, she gave off such a positive attitude, exuding optimism, while calling on her faith to sustain her. I was in awe of Elle’s determination to live her life, resolute in finding a treatment to prolong her life and put her cancer in remission,” said Hartman, who now works on Unit 9300, an inpatient unit for critically ill cancer patients.
SURVIVOR Colorectal cancer survivor Elle Charnisky, 41, finds respite in the Bernstein Family Garden. The rooftop garden is accessible from the Oncology Treatment Center waiting room (Duke Cancer Center Level 4, June 10, 2021, photo by Julie Poucher Harbin)