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Caitlin Fernandes (far right) spends a lot of time in the hospital as an RN in the Emergency
Department. When it was her turn to be the patient, she was grateful for Healthnetwork’s
referral to expert surgeon, Dr. Elena Ratner, at Yale University School of Medicine.

It didn’t sound right—but then again, nothing about The Epitome of a Professional
the situation sounded right. A week ago, her life was a Sure enough, Caitlin received a phone call from Michelle,
dream. Caitlin and Nick, who have been together since one of Healthnetwork’s Medical Coordinators, within
high school, had just bought their first house in Fairfield, an hour. Within another hour, she had an appointment
Connecticut, down the street from Nick’s parents’ summer scheduled for the next day with Dr. Elena Ratner, a Board
house—a perfect setup for when their first grandchild Certified Gynecologic oncologist and professor in the
arrived. Caitlin is a nurse in the Emergency Department; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive
Nick is a therapist for young men. It had been a Sciences at Yale University School of Medicine.
harrowing couple of pandemic years for both of them “Dr. Ratner was the epitome of a professional,” says
professionally, and they were eager for a fresh start. Caitlin. “She had done this kind of procedure hundreds
A new house, a new baby…and now an enormous cyst, of times, and you could tell she knew what she was
an urgent surgery and the threat of infertility and cancer? doing. She answered all our questions and put our
As an ED nurse, Caitlin is normally cool-headed in a minds at ease.”
crisis. “But when you’re the patient, all logic goes out the
window,” she says. “I was ready to just go ahead with the
surgery. I felt like, I just want it out of me now! Nick is
usually more nervous with health stuff, but this time
our roles reversed.” “I see people who weren’t able to get in
“Let’s pump the brakes,” Nick told Caitlin. “We just to see a doctor and that’s why they end up in
left a doctor we don’t feel great about. We can’t let
her cut you open.” the ED. That could have easily been me.”

Activating the Network
One of their first calls was to Nick’s parents, who
“know a lot of people and have a great network,” says Caitlin asked Dr. Ratner the same question she had
Caitlin. Perhaps they could suggest someone for a asked her ob-gyn: “Will you test the cyst while I’m on
second opinion. the table?”
Lori Fernandes, Nick’s mom, put on hold her feelings This time, Caitlin got a more reassuring answer.
about the alarming news from her son and daughter- Dr. Ratner explained she would test the cyst while
in-law and went into action mode. “I’d just had Caitlin was under, and she went on to say, “I’ll never take
conversations with people at an L3 event about their anything out besides what we’re going in for.” She also
experiences with Healthnetwork,” she says. “I never told Caitlin it was absurd to think she’d have to have a
anticipated needing it ourselves. We were all healthy.” hysterectomy. “She had a whole game plan and knew
She thought of Healthnetwork immediately. exactly what we needed to do. On the operating table
“When I called they said, ‘Don’t worry. We’ll call Caitlin she held my hand.”
within an hour.’”

4 Healthnetwork Foundation | www.healthnetworkfoundation.org