Providing peace of mind

Miami member Cristina Poo found great peace by connecting with Healthnetwork Foundation . . .

Ramon and Cristina Poo

Cristina Poo was packed and ready to go on a much-anticipated trip to the Holy Land. Right before she was to leave, she received an unexpected phone call from her sister who explained that her cancer had spread.

“She was in the middle of chemotherapy for her esophageal cancer when she received the devastating news that it had metastasized in her liver,” explained Poo, a member of Legatus’ Miami Chapter. “Her physician indicated that her liver was compromised and further treatment would do no good.”

Poo was distraught. Two years earlier her sister was extremely helpful when Poo herself battled cancer, so she desperately wanted to return the favor. But she was in Miami, and her sister was in California. Thinking back to the Legatus Summits she had attended over the years, Poo remembered receiving information from Healthnetwork Foundation.

“I found my contact information for Healthnetwork and called immediately,” she said. “I was upset and crying when I called; I don’t know how the medical coordinator made sense of what I was saying. Somehow she knew exactly what to do. Within 15-20 minutes, I received a call asking if we had access to all of her medical records and if my sister go to the hospital the next day for an appointment.”

Poo’s sister was quickly connected with the liaison at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. There she met with medical oncologist Edward Wolin, MD. He agreed with the initial prognosis about her liver, but he also gave her the peace of mind that she had done everything she could.

“My sister passed within three weeks of that visit,” Poo said. “While at her funeral, I mentioned to a friend how we connected with Dr. Wolin for a second opinion. The friend told me that he was the best cancer doctor in the area and we were lucky to get in to see him. This made me feel so much better. I never would have been able to make this happen on my own. Even across the country, I was able to reach out to Healthnetwork to provide her with a connection that gave her peace in a time of great struggle.

“I truly wanted to help support the foundation that did so much for our family,” she added. “I want others to benefit as we did, so we continue to support the foundation through the Healthnetwork GOLD program.

“People are often quick to point out when something goes wrong, but I believe in sharing when something goes right. I’m speaking out now because my experience with Healthnetwork could not have been better.”

Kate Hannibal is Healthnetwork’s marketing manager.

Healthnetwork is a Legatus membership benefit, a healthcare “concierge service” that provides members and their families access to some of the most respected hospitals in the world. To learn how this can work for you, call (866) 968-2467 or (440) 893-0830. E-mail: [email protected]