Bobbi Clark, MSN, R.N., AGNP-C, has seen tremendous advances in cancer therapy during her career as a nurse, but for Clark, there is one important aspect of care that never changes.
“I love building relationships with my patients and their families, and I want to do everything I can to help them,” Clark said.
According to the press release, Clark brings that personal approach and a wealth of experience to her new role as an oncology nurse practitioner at FirstHealth Outpatient Cancer Center. She will work closely with Todd Moore, M.D., medical oncologist, to care for cancer patients. After many years as a chemotherapy infusion nurse, clinical director and patient navigator, Clark knows the unique challenges these patients face.
“I have a good understanding of what our patients go through on a daily basis, even on the days they are not receiving treatment,” Clark said. “My experience as a patient navigator exposed me to the variety of resources available to our patients and families. In my new role, I can continue to develop my skills and apply my knowledge to provide the best care possible for our patients.”
According to Clark, it took a brief stint working outside the oncology field to reveal her true passion for helping cancer patients.
“During that year I was away, I quickly realized how much I missed oncology, especially the patients, so I returned as a patient navigator in 2016,” Clark said. “Since then, I’ve known this is where I want to be.”
She added that cancer patients at FirstHealth benefit from the many advancements research and technology have brought to oncology care since her career started in 2008.
“For example, immunotherapy has evolved so much over the last few years, and it’s exciting to see how well patients often respond,” she said. “They tend to have fewer side effects, which are not anything like those that often come with chemotherapy; and I am hopeful immunotherapies will continue to advance and more patients will benefit from them in the future.”
Clark earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in 2007. She credits the exceptional mentorship skills of the nursing faculty for her academic and professional success.
“Those instructors really cared about their students,” Clark said. “It was clear they wanted me to succeed, and I truly appreciate their encouragement and belief in me.”
The addition of Advanced Practice Providers (APP) like Clark improves the care patients receive, says Matt Sherer, MBA, MSHA, administrative director of oncology and clinical trials.
“They do a variety of things to help our patients and physicians,” said Emily Sloan, public relations. “They can see walk-in patients, answer questions from our infusion unit and see patients in the hospital; and they help us focus on patient care and improve the patient experience, which is in line with FirstHealth’s mission: to care for people.”
Sloan went on to say, “We are excited to add Bobbi as our second APP, since she has worked with us for a number of years, and we anticipate adding more APP’s to help us meet the growing demand for our oncology services.”
A native of Scotland County, Clark lives in Richmond County with her husband and two daughters. Clark said away from work, she enjoys spending time at the beach, boating, reading and being with her family.