Saint Joseph's Hospital Atlanta Proudly Announces First Nurse in Georgia with Advanced Genetics Credential

Atlanta, GA (March 18, 2010) - Following in Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta's (SJHA) tradition of nursing excellence, SJHA congratulates a member of its nursing staff for her dedication in becoming the only APNG (Advanced Practice Nurse in Genetics) certified nurse in Georgia.

Alice Kerber, RN is a master's prepared oncology nurse who has 30 years experience working with cancer patients and their families. "I think I help them understand better about how this testing may benefit them in terms of treatment or surveillance planning in a way that is supportive and nonthreatening" says Kerber, RN, "I love hearing their stories and helping them embrace their family history and heritage." Kerber is an expert at performing family and individual hereditary cancer risk assessment tests and provides counseling throughout the process. Kerber's nursing background allows her to share with her patients a deep, clinical perspective when discussing the emotional and physical components of genetic cancer testing/counseling.

Kerber completed her Bachelor's degree in Nursing at University of Virginia and later graduated from Emory University's School of Nursing with a Masters of Nursing (MSN) with a Clinical Specialty in Adult Health and subspecialty in Oncology. Most recently, Kerber was recognized for her distinguished APNG certification at the International Society of Nurse Genetics Annual Conference. Requirements for this distinction are rigorous and mandate that Kerber: earn a master's prepared nursing degree, focus half her working hours in genetics for a 3 to 5 year period, and provide a portfolio of case studies, educational hours, and references from colleagues in the genetics field. Phyllis Youngblood, VP of Oncology, Pulmonary and Digestive Diseases at Saint Joseph's Hospital says of Kerber, "She has shown great initiative and commitment during her 10 year tenure with SJHA; we are proud to recognize her for her dedication both to the medical field and to her patients, as she is now Georgia's only APNG certified nurse. She continues to be a tremendous asset to our staff and the community."

Editor's Note: Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1880, Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta is now a 410-bed, acute-care hospital recognized as one of the leading specialty-referral hospitals in the Southeast. Saint Joseph's is the region's premier provider of cardiac, vascular oncology and orthopaedic services and home to the most comprehensive minimally invasive robotic surgery program in the world. Saint Joseph's is one of the 50 top hospitals and one of the few hospitals in the world to receive Magnet Recognition for Nursing Excellence. Saint Joseph's medical staff is comprised of over 750 physicians. Saint Joseph's Health System is based in Atlanta and has several subsidiaries including indigent care services, employed physician group, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Greensboro, GA, and research facilities. Sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, Saint Joseph's is a member of Catholic Health East. For more information, please visit www.saintjosephsatlanta.org.