A heartfelt reflection on the vital role of cancer registry professionals in healthcare, emphasizing how meticulous data work impacts patient care, research, and the importance of compassion-driven leadership in the medical field.
Her Story
About Veronica
I am a healthcare professional, leader, community advocate, and proud single mother of 11-year-old triplets. My journey has been shaped by perseverance, faith, service, and a deep desire to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
As I approach seven years in the Tumor Registry field, I am proud of the journey that has taken me from Quality Coordinator to Lead Cancer Registrar and now Tumor Registry Supervisor. Each step has challenged me to grow professionally, lead with purpose, and recognize the importance of the work we do behind the scenes in cancer care.
Beyond my professional career, my greatest role and blessing is being a mother. Raising triplets as a single mom has taught me strength, patience, resilience, time management, and the importance of never giving up even when life feels challenging. My children inspire me every day to keep pursuing my goals, to lead by example, and to show them that with faith, determination, and hard work, they can accomplish anything they set their minds to.
My heart is also deeply rooted in serving my church and community. As Community Engagement Director at Cross Church IDP, I have the privilege of bringing people together, building community partnerships, coordinating outreach initiatives, and helping meet the needs of individuals and families in our community.
I believe leadership is about more than a title—it is about serving with humility, encouraging others, opening doors, and leaving people and communities better than you found them. Whether I am leading a team at work, serving my community, or raising my children, I strive to lead with compassion, integrity, and purpose.
Being recognized among Influential Women is an incredible honor and a reminder that our journeys can inspire someone else. My hope is to continue growing, serving, leading, and encouraging other women to believe in themselves, embrace their purpose, and never be afraid to step into the opportunities placed before them.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Veronica
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my faith in God, perseverance, hard work, and the people who have encouraged and supported me along the way. My journey has not always been easy, but every challenge has taught me something, strengthened me, and pushed me to become a better leader and a better person.
As a single mother raising 11-year-old triplets, I have learned the importance of resilience, discipline, and leading by example. My children are one of my greatest motivations. They remind me every day why I keep pushing forward, pursuing my goals, and refusing to give up when things become difficult.
Professionally, I attribute much of my growth to being willing to learn, accept challenges, step outside of my comfort zone, and take opportunities to grow. Starting as a Quality Coordinator, advancing to Lead Cancer Registrar, and now serving as a Tumor Registry Supervisor has taught me that success is not achieved overnight—it is built through consistency, dedication, and a willingness to keep moving forward.
Most importantly, I believe my success comes from understanding that my accomplishments are not just for me. I want my journey to inspire my children, encourage other women, and remind others that where you start does not determine where you can go. When you combine faith, perseverance, purpose, and a heart to serve others, you can create an impact far beyond what you ever imagined.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received is: “Don’t be afraid to take the next step, even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”
That advice has stayed with me throughout my life. There have been many moments when I didn’t have all the answers or know exactly how everything would work out, but I learned to trust God, believe in myself, and take the next step anyway.
As a single mother raising triplets, building my career, stepping into leadership, and serving my community, I have learned that you don’t have to have everything figured out before you move forward. Sometimes you simply have to trust the process, have faith, and be willing to step into the opportunity in front of you.
I would also encourage other women to never underestimate themselves. You are capable of more than you think, and your current circumstances do not define your future. Keep going, keep learning, keep believing, and never be afraid to take that next step.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering the healthcare and cancer registry field is to stay curious, stay humble, and never stop learning. This is an industry where accuracy, integrity, and attention to detail matter, but so does the ability to communicate, build relationships, and advocate for the importance of the work we do.
Do not be afraid to ask questions, seek out mentors, and take on opportunities that challenge you. You may not always feel ready for the next step, but sometimes growth happens when you are willing to step outside of your comfort zone.
Most importantly, do not limit yourself based on where you are today. Your first position does not have to be your final destination. I started as a Quality Coordinator, became a Lead Cancer Registrar, and now serve as a Tumor Registry Supervisor. Every position taught me something that prepared me for the next.
Believe in your abilities, surround yourself with people who encourage your growth, and remember that your voice and your perspective matter. Lead with integrity, work hard, and never forget the reason behind the work—the patients and families whose lives are impacted by the information we help capture.
And when you have an opportunity to open a door for another woman, hold it open and bring her with you
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in the cancer registry field is keeping pace with the rapid changes in cancer treatment, technology, data standards, and reporting requirements while continuing to maintain the highest level of accuracy and quality. Cancer registrars are responsible for capturing complex clinical information, and as treatments and diagnostic technologies continue to evolve, our profession must evolve with them.
At the same time, I see tremendous opportunities in our field. Technology, automation, artificial intelligence, and improved data systems have the potential to make cancer data collection more efficient and allow registrars to focus more on the areas where their expertise is most valuable. There is also an opportunity to increase awareness of the critical role cancer registrars play in patient care, cancer research, quality improvement, and accreditation.
I believe one of our greatest opportunities is developing the next generation of cancer registry professionals. We need to encourage young professionals to enter the field, provide strong mentorship, and help registrars recognize that their work has a direct impact on the future of cancer care.
As leaders, we have an opportunity to embrace change while protecting the accuracy, integrity, and human expertise that make our data meaningful. The future of cancer registry is exciting, and I am grateful to be part of a profession that contributes to improving cancer care and outcomes for generations to come.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me are faith, integrity, compassion, perseverance, humility, and service. I believe in doing what is right, even when no one is watching, and treating every person with respect and kindness.
In my professional life, integrity and accountability are especially important to me. Working in cancer registry requires accuracy, responsibility, and a commitment to excellence because the data we collect has an impact on patients, healthcare providers, research, and the future of cancer care.
In my personal life, my faith and my children are at the center of everything I do. As a single mother raising 11-year-old triplets, I want to lead by example and show my children the importance of working hard, treating others well, persevering through difficult seasons, and using the gifts God has given us to serve others.
Service is another value that is deeply important to me. Whether I am leading my team at work, serving as Community Engagement Director at my church, supporting my community, or simply helping someone who needs encouragement, I believe we all have an opportunity to make a difference.
Ultimately, I want to be remembered not only for what I accomplished, but for how I treated people, how I served others, and the positive impact I was able to make along the way.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Veronica
Beyond the Numbers: The Women Behind the Work That Changes Lives
Discovering Purpose and Impact in Healthcare's Unsung Roles
The People Behind the Data: Why Cancer Registry Work Matters
When people think about cancer care, they often picture the physician delivering a diagnosis, the nurse caring for a patient, or the treatments that give someone hope for another day. But behind every cancer program is a group of professionals whose work often happens quietly, behind the scenes, yet plays a critical role in understanding and fighting cancer.
I am proud to be part of that work.
As a cancer registry professional, I have learned that our work is about much more than collecting numbers and entering information into a database. Every case represents a person. A mother. A father. A child. A grandparent. A friend. Someone whose life was changed by a cancer diagnosis.
That perspective has changed the way I approach my career.
Cancer registrars collect and maintain detailed information about cancer diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes. That information becomes part of something much bigger. It helps healthcare organizations evaluate the quality of care they provide, helps researchers understand cancer trends, supports public health initiatives, and contributes to the knowledge we need to improve cancer care for future generations.
The work requires attention to detail, continuous education, critical thinking, and a commitment to getting the information right. But for me, it also requires compassion.
You can become very familiar with codes, rules, manuals, and databases. You can spend hours reviewing pathology reports and medical records. You can become an expert at identifying and abstracting cancer cases. But I never want to become so focused on the data that I forget what the data represents.
A patient.
That is one of the greatest lessons my career has taught me.
I have also learned that leadership is not always about having the loudest voice in the room. Sometimes, leadership is being the person who asks the difficult question, helps a struggling coworker, advocates for education, or encourages another woman to believe that she belongs at the table.
Women in healthcare have an incredible opportunity to lift one another as we grow. We can share knowledge instead of keeping it to ourselves. We can mentor those who are just beginning. We can celebrate each other's accomplishments without comparison. And we can create opportunities for the next generation of women to step into leadership with confidence.
My journey has reminded me that success is not simply about reaching a position or earning a title. It is about using where you are to make a difference.
There have been challenging seasons. There have been moments when balancing career, family, leadership, and everyday responsibilities felt overwhelming. But those moments have also strengthened me. They have taught me resilience, patience, humility, and the importance of remembering why I started.
I believe purpose often reveals itself through the work we are willing to keep doing, even when nobody is watching.
For me, that means continuing to learn. Continuing to advocate for the cancer registry profession. Continuing to support other professionals. Continuing to lead with integrity. And continuing to remember the people behind every case.
The impact of cancer registry work may not always be visible to the patient sitting in an exam room. They may never know the countless hours that went into documenting their diagnosis accurately or how their information contributes to a larger picture of cancer care.
But that doesn't make the work any less important.
In fact, it makes it even more meaningful.
I have come to understand that influence isn't always measured by how many people know your name. Sometimes, influence is measured by the people you encourage, the knowledge you share, the standards you uphold, and the difference your work makes long after you have finished it.
Every woman has a story. Every career has a purpose. And every position gives us an opportunity to leave something better than we found it.
My hope is that my story encourages another woman in healthcare to keep going when the path feels difficult, to keep learning when she feels behind, to speak up when her voice is needed, and to never underestimate the importance of the work she does.
Because sometimes, the most influential work happens behind the scenes.
And sometimes, the people changing the future of healthcare are the ones quietly making sure every number tells the truth about a life.
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