♪ [music]

♪ - [Susan]

I've been a nurse for 30 plus years, and also I've been the CEO of a hospital in Irvine, Kentucky, and I've always been actively involved in healthcare and treating patients and being with patients. I walked, you know, all the time. I exercised on a routine basis. I tried to eat right and reduce any type of risk factors involved with cancer.

♪ [music]

♪ I knew that I had to do something because I knew that women have a tendency to ignore their signs and symptoms, and they have a tendency to not make themselves a priority. ♪ [music]

♪ So I was diagnosed with lung cancer. It was a early stage of lung cancer. You know, as a nurse and having a healthcare background doesn't make it any easier when you have the diagnosis of cancer, especially when you first face it, but I think that when I entered into the system and started being cared for by Dr. Badin, I mean, he provided me with that care that reduced my anxiety.

- [Dr. Badin]

Cancer diagnosis is really a life-changing event. It takes really a strong person, a true hero to face cancer. I remember meeting Susie when she was first diagnosed with cancer, and she was looking for something beyond the standard of care. You know she can get surgery anywhere.

She can get chemotherapy anywhere, but knowing that at Baptist Richmond, we can not only do that, but also we can give her a new research, a new clinical trial that give her further hope and potentially better results. She was very excited.

- As a nurse, if I can do something to help other people in the future, that's what I want to do. They made it easy for me. I mean, they're wonderful people, all so very kind and caring nurses that helped me for the research.

- We cannot provide top-notch, world-class care to cancer patients without having full access to research as well as clinical trials. With research, what we try to do is we try to bring the future to today.

- One of my favorite things to do is to work out with my trainer, with my friend, and even during my treatment, I was able to continue to do exercise and to do fitness, and I think that was important.

- Getting the treatment that you need closer to home is always better. It's much easier to be with your family, be with your friends, with your own environment, and that's what we do here at Baptist Richmond, again, trying to be local, be close to patients, and bring everything that we offer at bigger centers, have it available at this place right here in Richmond.

- It's good to know that you have a physician who is involved in the research component of it, and I know that Dr. Badin was a leader.

- I am very proud to be in Baptist family. I'm happy to call this is home for me for the last 10 years. I'm proud to work for them because I love their mission. It's always been patient-focused.

I love being the director of research. I love being involved in research, and I don't see this changing anytime soon.

- When I look back on that whole experience, although it was difficult, it was scary and frightening and challenging, I'm also very grateful for the outcome that I have. I'm grateful that I'm healthy in my retirement age, and I am able to do the things that I enjoy. It's a blessing to be able to have such a great story to tell. ♪ [music]

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