'I Wish All Surgeons Were Like Her'

Kerry immediately began making calls to both Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and Dartmouth Cancer Center. Ultimately, the decision of where she wanted to receive treatment, whatever that entailed, was about trust. Years earlier, Kerry and her husband Jason had lived in the Upper Valley while he attended medical school at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. Jason also trained as a pediatric resident at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC), his parents had received life-saving cancer treatment there, and Kerry and Jason’s daughter had also finished her pediatric training at the same institution. Residents in more ways than one, DHMC wasn’t just a hospital. It was practically an extension of home.

Despite living near Cape Cod as Kerry now faced the unimaginable, she and her husband were drawn back to DHMC for its reputation and focus on patient-centered care. When friends recommended Kari Rosenkranz, MD, a surgical oncologist at Dartmouth Cancer Center known for her empathy and precision, Kerry promptly scheduled her first appointment.

“The first appointment was two hours long and Dr. Rosenkranz just listened,” Kerry says. “She respected my decision for a double mastectomy. I’d heard of women being denied that option elsewhere, but Dr. Rosenkranz said, ‘Not everyone will do this, but I do.’ She made me feel heard and supported.”

Listening, Rosenkranz says, is central to her approach to breast cancer treatment. “There’s so much shared decision-making that it’s overwhelming for patients,” she explains. “What I find is there are always little pearls as they’re talking about themselves and their priorities. In Kerry’s case, she knew exactly what she wanted.”

“I wanted the cancer out as soon as possible,” Kerry recalls. “My daughter was about to have a baby. I didn’t want this hanging over me.”

“I believe my role is to understand my patients, to help them make the right decision for themselves—not just what the textbook says to do,” Rosenkranz adds.

Jason, a pediatrician, deeply appreciated Rosenkranz’s emphasis on shared decision-making. “Statistically, there’s no survival advantage to removing both breasts, which is why many surgeons won’t do it,” he explains. “But Dartmouth has always been about shared decision-making—blending patient values with medical expertise. If we were elsewhere, it would have been really frustrating to not have had a choice. Dr. Rosenkranz just made us feel listened to and cared for, which gave us the confidence to make the right decision for Kerry.”

Kerry's surgery was scheduled just eight days later. “The nurse who prepped me had recently undergone a double mastectomy herself,” Kerry recalls. “I remember Dr. Rosenkranz started to explain every step. I just told her, ‘I trust you. Do what you have to do.’”

“It’s mind-blowing the kind of trust patients have towards their surgeon,” says Rosenkranz. “My role is to honor that trust by understanding who they are and meeting them where they are—not who or where I think they should be. It’s about making the right decision for them and only them.”

The procedure went smoothly, and the results exceeded the Reynolds’ expectations. “I’ll never forget when Dr. Rosenkranz came out to tell me everything went well,” Jason says.  

“Her skill is incredible,” Kerry agrees. “She’s just so talented. And the whole support staff was amazing. [DHMC] is one of the most aesthetically pleasing hospitals for some of the crappiest things you have to do in your life. The environment really makes a difference.”

During the 2024 Honor a Caregiver campaign, the Reynolds made a gift designated to the Comprehensive Breast Program in honor of Dr. Rosenkranz. “We are grateful beyond words,” they wrote in their tribute.  

For Rosenkranz, the gratitude expressed by patients and families like the Reynolds is profoundly meaningful. “It’s incredibly touching—a true honor,” she says. “And it’s a testament to them because they’re literally paying it forward. Those donations can go towards research or prosthetics for women. They’re giving back to help the next person through breast cancer care. It’s such an unbelievable gift.”

The Reynolds have always made a point of giving back to the institution that has meant so much to them. “I had a scholarship at Dartmouth, so we give to scholarship funds. I was trained in pediatrics there, as was my daughter, so we also give money to CHaD,” Jason says.

For Kerry’s treatment, the Reynolds donated during Dartmouth’s Honor a Caregiver program. “Honoring Dr. Rosenkranz is a small way to say thank you for taking such good care of my wife—for taking care of us,” Jason says. “It’s not just about the care you need; it’s about the care you want. Kerry got the care she wanted, and we’ll always be grateful for that.”

“I wish all surgeons were like her,” Kerry says.

To learn more about the Honor a Caregiver program, please contact Cate Meno at Cate.Meno@hitchcock.org or (603) 646-5794. You can also leave your own tribute for a caregiver through our annual campaign here.