Moving cross country for expert cancer care

In early 2024, Audrey Green started to lose weight quickly and experienced sharp chest pain. Concerned, she visited the doctor’s office and underwent various tests. She was in disbelief when she was eventually diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Audrey DeSouza, Green’s daughter, who resides in San Diego, grew worried when she saw her mother on video calls. “I wanted her to move from Ohio to where I was so she could be closer to me,” she says.

Green soon began receiving chemotherapy at Sharp Memorial Hospital after moving to San Diego and connecting with Kim Berry, one of the hospital’s oncology patient navigators. “I wanted Green to have a seamless transition for her care, so I was happy to help her with insurance questions and making appointments,” says Berry.

However, attending her doctor’s visits was sometimes a challenge because Green lives outside of the hospital shuttle range and her daughter serves in the Navy. As such, Berry also assisted Green with arranging transportation to and from the hospital.

Care without interruption

Thanks to a partnership with the American Cancer Society, Sharp Memorial, Sharp Grossmont Hospital and Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center are able offer patients like Green transportation to and from the hospital for treatments. By using services like Road To Recovery and critical grant funding, eligible patients who live far from the hospital can continue their care without interruption, which supports better patient outcomes.

“This grant is incredibly helpful, since we want to help patients avoid getting delays in their care,” says Berry.

Green expresses deep gratitude for the support she’s received from Berry and her oncologist, Dr. Heather Tracy, who is with Sharp Community Medical Group and affiliated with Sharp Memorial. “My daughter and I think highly of Kim, who’s always there to help,” she says. “I appreciate Dr. Tracy, too, because she doesn’t rush her appointments with me, and she truly cares about my needs.”

Finding motivation through care

Green adds that this support, along with the help she’s received from her daughter and relatives, motivated her during tough moments in her recovery. “There was a time when I was too weak to even walk or talk. I could’ve slept all day because going outside felt like a fight. But I’m glad I kept pushing through,” she says.

Green’s pancreatic cancer has not recurred since she completed her treatment. To monitor her health, she receives a scan and blood test every three months. She enjoys writing and spending time with her grandchildren as she gradually regains her strength.

“I’m so thankful that I got to receive great care at Sharp,” says Green. “With my daughter’s help, I got to move across states and have an excellent care team. The kindness and expertise from everyone at Sharp Memorial have been wonderful.”

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