Thank you for your votes at the Educational Extravaganza back in September! The ballots have been tallied and your new Dallas ONS Board members are ready to serve their terms beginning in January 2020. Below are their photos and brief bios.
Director at Large - Kathleen Ames, BSN, RN, OCN, ONN-CG
Kathy has been an RN for 40 years with more than half of that time spent as an Oncology nurse. She is currently a Breast Nurse Navigator with the Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute working in collaboration with the HCA system. She has a passion for the field of Oncology and loves being able to serve her patients and their loved ones by assisting them through their cancer journey.
She most recently served as the President of the local North Texas Chapter of AONN in 2018-19. Prior to the role of President, she served as the chapter secretary for 2 years.
Foundation/Scholarship Chair – Teresa Hill, RN, MSN, OCN, ANP-BC
Teresa started her career as an ADN working in oncology more than 25 years ago and since then has returned to school for her BSN, then her MSN, and most recently for her post master’s Adult Nurse Practitioner degree. She has worked in multiple site settings including inpatient, BMT, transplant, education and in industry. She is currently working as a nurse for the Myeloma team at Amgen.
Teresa has been active in both local and national ONS since 1994. She has held a variety of different board positions in the past, both here in Dallas and for the Phoenix chapter when she lived in Arizona. She was the DONS president back in 2005 and has a strong love for the organization and how important it is to Oncology nurses.
In addition to ONS, Teresa is active in APSO, the local DFW APP group and TNP. She is active in her church and community, volunteering with her smaller children’s Sunday school. Teresa has 3 children – 6, 8, and 20 - and a sweet husband of 23 years. She loves to travel, enjoy good food and time with friends.
Social Chair – Stephanie Barnes, BSN, RN, OCN
Stephanie has been an Oncology nurse for over 11 years. She earned her BSN from the University of South Carolina in 2003. In 2017, Stephanie completed an Executive Certificate in Nursing Informatics at UT Tyler. Most of that time was spent in Infusion, followed by a year and a half in Radiation, and now she has found her way back to Infusion. Stephanie started her Oncology career in Houston and made her way up to Dallas about 7 years ago. Although she has been an ONS member for several years, this is the first time she has served on the Board. Stephanie holds OCN certification and says she would not have had the courage to pursue certification without the encouragement of the great nurses she has had the privilege of working with and meeting through DONS. She truly enjoys working with Oncology patients and has learned a lot from them over the years. She looks forward to continuing to grow as an Oncology nurse and serving our membership on the Dallas ONS Board!
Government Liaison – Lauren Matthews, BSN, RN, OCN
Lauren Matthews is an oncology certified, registered nurse who works for Texas Oncology Presbyterian Cancer Center to provide comprehensive, compassionate care for all patients. She has been with the company since October 2013, and currently oversees the daily operations of a 36-chair infusion room.
Lauren believes that health care is a fundamental, human right and understands that when patients are informed and empowered, they are able to actively participate in their health management and decision making.
Lauren is interested in healthcare policies; specifically, she wants to use her nursing knowledge and oncology experience to influence lawmakers and advocate for access to quality cancer care for all. Ever since the beginning of her career, Lauren has been involved in community programs that support career paths for low to moderate income adults which help them develop skills, education, and training to be successful members of the workforce. Lauren has spoken before the Dallas City Council, advocating for continued grant support in order to sustain these programs.
Most recently, Lauren was selected to attend ONS Capitol Hill Days in September 2019.
Lauren acquired her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas at Arlington and obtained her OCN certification in 2016.