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Brain Tumor Center Office Staff
Our support team consists of highly dedicated individuals with many years of experience in helping patients with neurosurgical and endocrine (hormonal) problems. Our goal is to shepherd each patient and their families through all aspects of their healthcare experience to ensure they are provided with timely, accurate, individualized guidance through diagnosis, treatment, recovery and long term follow up. Our patients become a part of our family and we find that a privilege. Individual Team Profiles Amy A. Eisenberg, MSN, ARNP, CNRN Nurse Practitioner, Brain Tumor Center and Pituitary Disorders Programs Phone: 310.582.7450; Fax: 310.582.7495 Email: eisenberga@jwci.org Amy’s 25+ years of experience with neuroscience and brain tumor patients help to ensure our patients’ complete continuity of care, from first point of contact through inpatient hospitalization and post op recovery. Along with her clinical expertise, Amy’s commitmentto planning and education not only for the patient but also the patient’s family help to assure maximal confidence and comfort. Prior to her arrival at the Brain Tumor Center, Amy worked at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA and prior to that, Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida where she helped manage a large brain tumor and pituitary neurosurgical practice. Amy serves as a clinical preceptor for the UCLA Acute Care Advanced Practice Nursing Program. Amy is an active member of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses and sits on the Test Development Committee for the American Board of Neuroscience Nursing. She is also an active member of the World Federation of Neuroscience Nurses, Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society, Southern Nursing Research Society, Florida Nurses Associations, and Philippine Nurses Association of America. Amy has received multiple awards including Certificate of Appreciation for Outstanding Service to Miami Dade Community College, Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Service and Dedication to the Profession of Nursing, Florida League for Nursing Scholarship, Advance Practice Award District V Florida Nurses Association and Advance Practice Award Florida Nurses Association in 2001. She was also featured in The American Nurse Profile by ANA in 2002. She has presented numerous presentations & publications. Her article “Caring for a patient after resection of pituitary adenoma was selected the” Article of the Year Award” in Nursing 99. Maricela Sandoval Patient Care Coordinator, Brain Tumor Center and Pituitary Disorders Program Phone: 310.582.7450; Fax: 310.582.7495 Maricela Sandoval’s Email: sandovalm@jwci.org Maricela is our patient care coordinator. She facilitates all administrative aspects of a patient’s care including: pre-screening of medical records and imaging studies, appointment scheduling for the center and other related specialists, secures authorization, coordination of surgery scheduling and after care. It is a priority of our patient care coordinator to help patients and their families feel informed and secure throughout their course of treatment. Maricela is fluent in Spanish. Maricela joined Dr. Kelly’s team March 2009 and prior to that worked at UCLA also in the Department of Endocrinology. Our patient care coordinators, have extensive experience in neuroendocrine disorders - a key to adeptly managing pituitary and brain tumor patient care. Marilou Loreto Financial Counselor Brain Tumor Center and Pituitary Disorders Programs Phone: 310.559.8276; Fax: 310.559.8263 Email: mbmg97@aol.com Marilou’s role as financial counselor is to assist patients with understanding their insurance coverage related to their diagnosis and treatment and the associated share of cost (if any.) Insurance plans and individual policies vary widely, so each case is carefully researched to ensure maximization of benefits and timely claims processing. It is Marilou’s priority to ensure that patients are not encumbered by the billing aspect of their care. Janet Amirkhanian, RN, BSN Director, JWCC Outpatient Clinics Phone: 310.582.8305 Email: janet.amirkhanian@stjohns.org Janet is the Director of the John Wayne Clinics located in the Saint John’s Health Center. She is responsible for all aspects of the outpatient clinic operations. Her aim is to ensure the comfort and safety of all of our patients and constantly striving to enhance the patient experience in our Center. Janet was promoted to Director of the JWCC Outpatient Clinic after she had worked as an inpatient nurse for many years at Saint John’s Health Center. Charlene Chaloner, R.N. Research Nurse Coordinator Brain Tumor Center and Pituitary Disorders Programs Phone: 310.582.7457 Fax 310.582.7495 Email: chalonerc@jwci.org Charlene’s role is to coordinate all clinical research investigations that are conducted at the Brain Tumor Center and Neuroscience programs including clinical trial recruitment, facilitation of consenting for Brain Tumor tissue typing for the tissue bank and oversight for the clinical translational database, including metastatic brain tumors, gliomas, pituitary tumors, meningiomas, craniopharyngiomas and chordomas. Charlene has over 10 years experience conducting clinical trials and translational research. She is currently working on an upcoming acromegaly clinical trial and she coordinates our study of pituitary hormonal function and quality of life in retired professional football players. In her spare time, Charlene has volunteered for the California Science Center for many years serving on the Board of California State Science Fair fostering young minds to formulate an interest in science and exploration. *Sharmyn McGraw* Founder and Meeting Facilitator Pituitary Patient Support Group Phone: 888.410.3334; Fax: 888.410.3334 Website: www.hormones411.org Over ten years ago after Sharmyn’s own pituitary surgery, she and Dr. Kelly founded a pituitary tumor patient support group. The group has grown to mailing out over 800 invitations to attend their bi-monthly patient and family support and educational meetings. The meetings are video taped and put on online to help support patients from all around the world. For more information please visit our Pituitary & Brain Tumor Patient Support Group page. Sharmyn’s in-depth understanding of pituitary disorders comes from not only being a patient herself but as well as knowing personally hundreds of patient throughout the years and from many parts of the world. Her story speaks about the barriers that kept her searching for seven years for an answer to an insidious illness that nearly took her life, and the importance of persistence which led her to a correct diagnosis for Cushing’s disease, a life-threatening hormonal imbalance caused by a pituitary brain tumor. For the past 10 years Sharmyn has been dedicated to helping medical professionals as well as the public to understand the importance of education and public awareness about the critical role hormones play in our quality of life. Sharmyn’s Highlights: The Discovery Health channel- “Mystery Diagnosis” airing all around the world. The Montel show NBC and Medstar News Specials CNN, Woman’s Day magazine, Woman & Home magazine-London. Pearson/Prentice Hall Publishing, “Biology of Humans” Medical Book, American Medical Association Media Conference-NY and the National Institute of Woman’s Health (NIH) and more.

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