Who am I?
I am an award-winning senior medical writer and editor with 15 years’ experience in health communications for both physician and patient expert audiences.
It all started at the ophthalmology trade publication, Ocular Surgery News (OSN).
I left my newspaper reporting role in 2005 to become staff writer, and then managing editor, at OSN. I traveled the world, writing on tight deadlines for daily newspapers produced onsite at medical conferences for a physician audience. And back at my desk, I wrote long-form reported stories on a variety of topics in the field.
I took my knowledge of ophthalmology and became senior staff writer at EyeWorld, the official news magazine of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) in 2012. I was promoted to editor and ran the publication, including managing a staff of in-house and freelance writers as well as writing clinical and feature stories.
I achieved 10 years in ophthalmology writing and editing while at ASCRS.
Why I did freelance writing + editing
Meanwhile, I had been diversifying my therapeutic areas through freelance writing and editing for a variety of clients, including a hospital, a private practice physician, continuing medical education (CME), and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). I wanted to learn about medical + health topics other than eyes and thought the best way to do this would be project-based work.
For years I was busy, working full-time during the week and part-time on the weekends, but I soaked up the information I was learning as fast as I was learning it.
I obtained a foundation in oncology through freelance, and joined the American Society for Radiation Oncology as their full time communications manager/managing editor in 2015. There, I ran their weekly e-newsletter send to 10,000 physicians, ghostwrote and edited much of their quarterly magazine, ASTROnews (which I oversaw turn from print to digital), wrote press releases for their peer-reviewed journals and meeting coverage, and worked alongside outside vendors to secure media coverage.
Why I did work in patient-based communications
I left the society to pursue digital content strategy at Remedy Health Media as senior editor of the chronic illness website HealthCentral.com. I worked with patient experts and health professionals to bring the latest news and information in a variety of conditions, including multiple sclerosis, breast cancer, and diabetes, to thousands of readers. I used SEO best practices and editorial know-how to provide the best, more accurate medical information to readers across the internet.
Transition to freelance
In late 2018, I decided to pursue my dream of taking my freelance from part-time to full-time. I now write and edit for a variety of health and medical clients. I’m also working on two books and a website on C-sections.
Why I love writing
The common thread throughout my writing and editing career has been my love of telling a story on deadline. From when I was 4 years old and learned that you could ask questions for a living as a journalist, I’ve wanted to do this job. I love what I do everyday.
So what does this experience provide YOU?
- Journalistic know-how: I produce accurate deliverables thanks to my reporting background.
- Deadline inspiration: Deadlines drive and inspire me.
- Story-telling ability: I use narrative structure to show the why behind statistics because, as Kevin Pho, M.D., said at the American Medical Writers Conference in Denver in 2016, “stories resonate over data.”
- A unique perspective: With experiences as both a client AND a freelancer, I have insight into why an easy-going attitude and flexibility make a real difference in the client-freelance relationship.
As a result, I can
Conceptualize content, create it, edit it, and deliver it. On time. And with minimal fuss.
Contact me today: [email protected]