Consultant Spotlight: Jennifer Penke, AAS, CTR – Project Manager

Corry

Marketing Manager

Jennifer began working for Registry Partners as a Project CTR before her promotion to Project Manager for the Oncology Services Division.

Prior to joining Registry Partners, Jennifer worked as a Cancer Registrar at Swedish American Health System in Rockford, IL where she performed daily tasks of the Cancer Registry department, coordinated Cancer Committee meetings and minutes, breast & lung tumor conferences, and provided CoC Standards education to all Cancer Committee coordinators, physicians, and administrative staff.

Jennifer earned her Associates Degree in Cancer Information Management from Scott Community College in Bettendorf, Iowa and she is a Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR).

Jennifer resides in Illinois with her husband, son and two dogs. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys reading, traveling, spending time with family and friends and working on DIY crafts.

Q & A with Jennifer:

Q:  How did you become aware of the cancer registry profession?

A:  My background was retail customer services until a friend of mine, who works as a medical biller/coder explained her job to me.  I became really interested in learning more. She asked if I knew about Cancer Registry. I started by looking up the National Cancer Registrars Association to get more information about schooling and what was required. I found a school close to where I live, registered for classes and graduated 2 ½ years later with my degree in Cancer Information Management.  

Q:  What advice would you give to other individuals pursuing a cancer registry career and seeking their CTR certification?

A: My advice is to ask questions, lots and lots of questions. Always keep an open mind to learn as much as you can from those in the profession, never give up when it gets hard, frustrating or seems like you just aren’t getting it. You will. You will learn, grow and before you know it, you’ll be passing your knowledge on to someone else who is just starting out in the field too.

Q: What do you enjoy most about working for Registry Partners?

A: The people is what I enjoy most about working with Registry Partners. Everyone is absolutely amazing, helpful, encouraging and supportive. I love it! It is a really great feeling to know I am part of a team and that we are all there to help, encourage and support each other.