Kessandra directs and oversees all aspects of her assigned projects ensuring compliance with registry standards and specifications. She ensures the goals and objectives of each project are met through oversight of her data abstraction teams. Kessandra resides in California and in her spare time she enjoys hiking, kayaking and cooking with ingredients from her garden.
Prior to joining Registry Partners, Kessandra served as a Data Collection Specialist for the Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program through the University of Southern California.
Kessandra earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Regent University and her Masters of Public Health from Azusa Pacific University. Kessandra is a Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR) and a member of the National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA).
Q & A with Kessandra:
Q: How did you become aware of the Certified Tumor Registrar profession and what did you do to prepare for the CTR exam?
A: I first learned of the CTR profession while working for the Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program (CSP) which is the Regional Registry for Los Angeles County. I had been aware of the cancer registry field for many years as my dad was the Director of the CSP but it wasn’t until later in my career that I began to look into becoming a CTR. To prepare for the exam I relied heavily on the SEER educate resources, primarily focusing on the sample cases to test my knowledge, and also used the NCRA CTR prep workbook and tests.
Q: What advice would you give someone considering a career in cancer registry and pursuing their CTR certification?
A: I’d advise anyone considering a career in the cancer registry field to become comfortable with adapting to change because this field is one that changes quickly and frequently.
Q: How have you changed your work habits working in a remote environment?
A: Working from home has been great because it offers me better flexibility and has greatly improved my work/life balance. It’s important to be self-motivated in a remote position because you spend a lot of your time alone rather than in an office with coworkers but I find I’m more efficient and focused on my tasks when I work from home.