Biography
Brandi McConnell, M.S.N., F.N.P.-B.C., is a certified nurse practitioner and a member of the comprehensive cancer care team at MyMichigan Health. This team includes medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, specialized surgeons, interventional radiologists, as well as breast and lung health navigators. Brandi currently sees patients at the Cancer Center in Mt. Pleasant.
According to Brandi, her first career was as a registered nurse. “For ten years, I worked in the acute-care setting on a combined cardiac and intensive care unit,” she said. “My desire to follow patients over time in an effort to foster trusting patient/provider relationships and play a larger role in treatment decisions, led me to becoming a nurse practitioner.”
Philosophy of Care
Brandi believes in delivering care that is evidence-based and tailored to the unique needs of the individual patient and his/her support network.
“I have a special passion for oncology care because cancer has touched me personally,” she added. “I walked alongside my father and my mother-in-law as they each battled cancer. My father received palliative care for advanced stage lung cancer. He passed away peacefully at home. My mother-in-law has been cancer-free for eleven years now. She is not only surviving, but is thriving. I understand the fears and uncertainties that surround a cancer diagnosis and I want to help my patients through that time.“
Brandi believes in developing trusting relationships built upon open and honest communication. “I want my patients to feel well informed and comfortable with their treatment decisions,” she said. “The most satisfying aspect of my work is helping my patients through a most difficult time and improving upon both their physical and emotional health. I do my best to connect with my patients on a personal level, treating the individual patient and not just the disease.”
Special Interests and Procedures
Brandi has a special interest in cancer survivorship and creating plans for ongoing, coordinated care following cancer treatment.
She believes that each year, building upon previous knowledge, gains are being made in understanding the complex family of diseases that is cancer. “Cancer research continues to expose new molecular pathways that are becoming treatment targets, improving our ability to individualize treatment of tumors’ based upon their genetic makeup,” she said.
In her free-time, she enjoys being active with her husband Justin and their three children. As a family, they enjoy playing sports, running and biking. She also enjoys reading.
