About Hereditary Cancer including answers to:

  • What is hereditary cancer?
  • What is genetic counseling and how can it help?

Informed Genetic Counselors

Heather L. Shappell, M.S., CGC

  • Bachelors degree in Anthropology, Cum Laude, 1996, Temple University
  • Masters degree in Genetics, 1999, University of Pittsburgh
  • Board Certification, 2002, American Board of Genetic Counseling

Heather is the Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Informed Medical Decisions, Inc. She has provided cancer genetic counseling services at several NCI (National Cancer Institute) designated comprehensive cancer center’s throughout her career including the Huntsman Cancer Institute, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, and the Yale Cancer Center. She provided genetic test result interpretation by telephone for patients and health care providers who did not have access to in-person counseling while working for Myriad Genetic Laboratories, a leader in cancer genetic testing. Heather has been a part of the Scientific Advisory Board of FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered) since 2005.

 

Mary E. Freivogel, M.S., CGC

  • Bachelors degree in Chemistry, Summa Cum Laude, 1998, Creighton University
  • Masters degree in Genetics, 2001, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
  • Board Certification, 2002, American Board of Genetic Counseling

Mary has extensive clinical experience in cancer genetics and a special interest in hereditary colorectal cancer. She is an active member of the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Colorectal Cancer, as well as the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC), in which she participates in several colorectal cancer-specific initiatives. She is passionate about improving access to genetics services and making genetic counselors a part of mainstream healthcare.

 

Heather L. Ferguson, M.S., CGC

  • Bachelors degree in Biology, Cum Laude, 1992, Colby College
  • Masters degree in Genetic Counseling, 1996, University of Texas Health Sciences Center
  • Board Certification, 1999, American Board of Genetic Counseling

Heather Ferguson comes to Informed Medical Decisions with over ten years of experience as a genetic counselor. Before joining Informed, she worked as the Associate Director of Genetics Resources and Services at Genetic Alliance, an advocacy group that works to transform systems responsible for health in the genetics community. Prior to that she served as the Director of Genetic Counseling Services for GeneDx, a testing company that offers clinical testing to people with rare genetic conditions and their families. Her clinical background is diverse and includes prenatal, cancer and adult genetics. Heather has a special interest in improving access to genetic services.

 

Barbara J. Pettersen, M.S., CGC

  • Bachelors Degree in Psychology, Honors, 1981, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Masters Degree in Medical Genetics, 1984, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Board Certification, American Board of Medical Genetics, 1987
  • Board Certification, American Board of Genetic Counseling, 1993

Barbara has been a genetic counselor for over 23 years and has been involved in many aspects of genetic counseling and genetic testing through her work at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Stanford University Medical Center, and Kaiser-Permanente Medical Center. Since 2000, she has focused on providing cancer genetic counseling within a private practice. She is actively involved in the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) and the Familial Cancer Special Interest Group. She is also a current board member of the American Board of Genetic Counseling.

 

Kelle Steenblock, M.S., CGC

  • Bachelors degree in Biology, 1998, Gustavus Adolphus College
  • Masters degree in Genetic Counseling, 2001, Northwestern University
  • Board Certification, 2002, American Board of Genetic Counseling

Kelle began her genetic counseling career at the Mayo clinic providing genetic counseling for their Molecular Genetics Laboratory with a primary focus in the area of genetic predisposition to colorectal cancer. Kelle is an active member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) lending her expertise to lectures on colorectal cancer syndromes and materials to educate providers on genetic testing for inherited colorectal cancer. Kelle desires to ensure patients who elect to have genetic counseling for inherited cancer predisposition are appropriately informed of their options prior to pursuing genetic testing. 

 

Suzanne Schrock-Kelley, M.S., CGC

  • Bachelors degrees in Biology and Psychology, 1989, Lafayette College
  • Masters degree in Genetic Counseling, 1998, University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health
  • Board Certification, 1999, American Board of Genetic Counseling

Suzanne received her cancer genetic counseling training at the University of California, San Francisco’s Cancer Risk Program. It was there that she developed a strong interest in the genetics of inheritable cancers and a passion for helping patients understand the information in order to make informed decisions about genetic testing. Following the completion of her training, Suzanne joined Kaiser-Permanente Medical Center in Oakland, CA, where she provided genetic counseling for a range of inherited diseases, with a specialization in cancer genetics. Suzanne is excited to be part of Informed Medical Decisions and shares her colleagues’ desire to substantially increase patient access to genetic counseling services, a service that previously had only been available at major metropolitan medical centers.

 

Charité Ricker, MS, CGC

  • Bachelors of Science in Genetics, 1996, Texas A&M University
  • Masters of Science in Genetic Counseling, 2002, California State University, Northridge
  • Board Certification, 2002, American Board of Genetic Counseling

Charité is a bi-lingual genetic counselor who speaks both English and Spanish. Her specialization is hereditary cancer genetics and she has extensive experience in counseling families in both languages. She started as a cancer genetic counselor at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center. During her time there she was involved in the establishment of outreach clinics at community hospitals to provide cancer genetics services to uninsured individuals. She then moved to the University of Southern California (USC)/Norris Cancer Center where she worked for four years as a cancer genetic counselor and coordinator of genetic services. While Charité is still associated with USC, she currently works at the Los Angeles County hospital in a newly established clinic aimed at providing genetic counseling and testing to uninsured patients. She has various peer-reviewed articles, focused on hereditary cancer in Latinos and genetics education. Charité has also worked for several years as an instructor in the genetic counseling training program at California State University and part of the USC Community Hospital Network CME Lecture Series. She serves as a consultant on various research projects at USC and is a voting member of the Institutional Review Board for the USC Health Science Campus, LAC+USC Medical Center and Health Research Association. She is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, the National Hispanic/Latino Cancer Network, and the Intercultural Cancer Council.