Susan Chiasson

Susan Chiasson, 46 – Medical Assistant at HCA Florida Heart & Lung

When you meet Susan Chiasson – you immediately are struck by her radiant smile and sunny disposition. She has the ability to make you feel at ease with her calm and welcoming demeanor.

Susan’s breast cancer journey began last year. She says, “I was diagnosed with ER-Positive, PR-Positive, HER2-Negative breast cancer in Oct. 2023. I was already enrolled in an accelerated nursing program and the diagnosis came right in the middle of that. I underwent a right-side mastectomy with general surgeon, Candace Gonzales, MD, of HCA Florida Capital Surgical Specialists. The other part of my treatment plan included, eight rounds of chemotherapy and 25 rounds of radiation with Josh Dault, MD, radiation oncologist at the HCA Florida Capital Cancer Center.”
Born in Espoo, Finland, Susan came to the United States to further her education. She spent several years as a faculty member for a university and taught Anatomy/Physiology and Microbiology. She soon realized that she really wanted to practice medicine instead of teaching. She started working as a medical assistant for Dr. Jeffery Snyder, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon at HCA Florida Heart & Lung, while attending nursing school.

With determination, Ms. Chiasson was able to finish nursing school while fighting cancer and completed her nursing internship program in the intensive care unit at HCA Florida Capital Hospital. She is set to begin the HCA Healthcare Nurse Residency program at the same hospital.

Rayshonda Henry, practice manager at HCA Florida Healthcare says, “When I hear the word ‘superwoman’ the first person that comes to my mind is Susan. Susan’s ability to maintain a positive attitude, while faced with adversity is nothing but amazing. Even during her treatment process, Susan never let her smile faulter, she continued to provide great patient care even on the bad days – she is the true definition of a fighter.”

Susan recently underwent a PET scan and she is doing well post-treatment. She is thankful she was able to receive care from the colleagues she calls family. “The care that I received was fantastic! I had such great support from my colleagues and providers,” she said. “The biggest takeaway cancer has taught me - is that life is unpredictable so you have to live in the moment and not postpone things that make you happy.”