The success of this program is a direct reflection of her passion and commitment

• Marissa Kinsley is an exceptional MA at the Cancer Center in Battle Creek. Marissa goes above and beyond the call of duty for the cancer patients.  She is our palliative care MA. Marissa sees the need for patients to be scheduled with palliative care.  She recognizes patients who need help with symptom management issues or extra support with their cancer journey. She recognizes when patient’s family members may require extra care for caregiver burn out, or stress associated with ongoing treatment. Marissa is amazing and will call back patients to check on their symptoms. She is a fantastic team member and is able to seamlessly work between the infusion nurses and the office nurses.  She has advocated for palliative care patients to be seen in treatment rooms at times when they are fatigued, or not feeling well enough to sit in exam room. She makes patients and families feel comfortable.  She has advocated for family members to come to exam room, especially recognizing when patient needs extra support, or may be hard of hearing, etc. She is an asset to the program, and the palliative care team has 100% benefitted from her efforts. Marissa is the shining example of what the Sunshine Award represents. It is a true pleasure working with her; she is able to anticipate the needs of patients, and how our team may help them.
• I would like to nominate Marissa Kinsely for this year’s Sunshine Awards. Marissa is just phenomenal in her role as MA.  Not only does she do all the things expected of an MA competently and with good cheer, she has taken a real lead in “ownership” of patients and families in her extra role as lead MA for the palliative care team.  These are some of the most vulnerable, and at times complex, patients that we see at the Bronson Cancer Center, and a strong confident connection with a patient is one of the best interventions that we can offer.  Marissa is able to make that connection, get people feeling confident in seeing the palliative providers and put them at ease. I also appreciate her clinical judgement, thoroughness of the report I get prior to seeing the patient and her handling of patient calls and needs in between visits.  Having worked in clinics my entire 25 year career, I appreciate the work of an MA, and feel her efforts go beyond expectations.  I appreciate her “ownership” of the patients and her extra efforts to meet their needs and her clear and timely communication with myself and the other providers. This means even more knowing that the responsibilities of running the palliative care providers was added to her already full-time MA responsibilities, and she continues to show sincere positivity, compassion and teamwork.  She is just outstanding and has a bright future in healthcare.
• Within the last year we started providing palliative care at the Bronson Cancer Center in Battle Creek. Marissa was the MA assigned to support these providers. Prior to the first day, she was reviewing provider’s schedules to identify potential patients. She approached providers to discuss patients and raise awareness about the new service. She calls patients to discuss scheduling an appointment. She provides them with education on how the service will enhance their care. Her compassion and continued commitment to this palliative care service made it successful and allowed it to grow from one half day per week to 2 half days per week. She manages the patient questions and maintains an open line of communication with our palliative care team when they are not on site. The success of this program is a direct reflection of her passion and commitment.

Marissa Kinsley is a medical assistant at the Bronson Cancer Center in Battle Creek. She is the recipient of the 2022 Sunshine Award, which is given each year to team members who help our clinical staff provide exceptional care for patients and families.