Anna has worked with Registry Partners since June 2013, starting as a project CTR. In December 2014 she was promoted to Project Specialist before her promotion to her current position as Project Manager in June 2015.
Anna’s past work experience includes working as a Cancer Cytogenetic Technologist for the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, where she prepared and analyzed chromosomes from bone marrow and blood specimens to aid in the prognosis for hematologic malignancies. She then took a position for University Hospital in Augusta, GA, as a Cancer Registrar where she worked for twenty-two years before joining RPI.
Anna has a BA degree in Biology from Wesleyan College in Macon, GA. She is also an active member in her state cancer registry association (GATRA) and has presented sessions on anatomy and physiology and ICD-O-3 at several CTR workshops. She has held positions such as nominations chair, treasurer, audit chair, public relations chair and vice president. She is also a member of the National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) and has served as NCRW chair.
Currently Anna resides in Martinez, GA with her husband Stephen. She has three children: a son, Drew 25, who recently graduated from Georgia Regents University; a son, Kyle 24, who is a server at Craft and Vine – one of the highest rated restaurants in Augusta, and a beautiful daughter, Hannah 13, who is in the 8th grade and likes anime.
Outside of work Anna enjoys yoga and is involved with her church. She has two dogs, Rose, a German Shepherd and Eva, a Corgi.
Q&A with Anna:
Q: Do you like working from home or do you miss the interaction from an office setting?
A: I enjoy the freedom of working when I want to, and don’t miss the commute at all. I do miss my former co-workers, but do try to catch up with them when I can.
Q: Did you have a mentor when you began your career in the cancer registry or did you learn on your own?
A: My training consisted of reading the SEER training manuals before I started to abstract.
Q: What advice do you give to other individuals considering pursuing their CTR?
A: The career path towards a CTR now is more demanding but better focused. I also say some people came to the cancer registry through the backdoor, but I came in the back window…but so glad I did.