Peggy Lynch RN MSN ANP-AOCN is an Adult Nurse Practitioner in the Urology Survivorship program at Cancer Center in New York City, NY. Lynch has been nurse practitioner since 1998 and her clinical expertise is as a clinical research nurse practitioner. Lynch has worked on the Hematology/Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation and Lymphoma services before moving into Urology services 3 years ago. Lynch’s patients are referred to her by urology surgeons and medical oncologists to monitor for cancer recurrence. She currently has an independent practice and manages 1300 patients a year who have been diagnosed with a urological cancer such as bladder, prostate or kidney cancer. Lynch reviews for residual side effects of treatment, health care maintenance, and reviews all additional cancer screenings- prostate, breast, colorectal, lung and skin cancer.
As a result of COVID-19 crisis, Lynch has had to cancel office visit appointments and has been doing telehealth visits with her patients. “The biggest challenge I have had to address during the crisis is prioritizing if cancer patients should have cancer screening and risk exposure to COVID-19 by sending them for radiology or lab tests or postpone and if so, how long is safe to postpone. Patients are anxious about cancer reoccurrence and fear exposure to COVID-19. Understanding this and having them involved in the decision-making process has been even more critical to care planning”, said Brennan.
Lynch has also been furloughed one day a week to work in the Employee Health Service. “Everyone has different fears and concerns and personal situations that affect how they chose to practice and view the situation. Some are caring for elderly family members or children at home which causes concerns for exposing family members if caring for COVID-19 patients. Employees who have been sick with COVID-19 also vary in their symptoms and we do not know why. Employees have varied in their convalesce and I need to make sure they return safely”, said Lynch
