Breast Cancer Supportive Care

BCSC is comprised of a team of physicians certified in family medicine but who specialize in breast cancer care, a psychiatrist, social worker and clinical psychologists. We are proud to take a whole-person approach to cancer care in order to address physical, mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual challenges that our patients and their families might experience. We work alongside specialists and family physicians to support patients through their active cancer treatments, and are unique in that we aim to empower individuals with breast cancer, their families and those at high risk of developing breast cancer to achieve optimal healing and wellness beyond their acute care.

Dr. Ardythe Taylor, MD, CCFP, FCFP

Dr. Ardythe Taylor is a founder of Breast Cancer Supportive Care (BCSC) and a physician in this clinic for 16 years. Ardythe has a strong passion and dedication to healing and optimizing the health of breast cancer patients and their families from a ‘whole person’ perspective. Above all, Dr. Taylor cherishes the relationships which are built through the privilege of being able to walk alongside patients and their families as she provides medical care to address the various challenges they are facing.

Dr. Stephanie Kubik, BSc, MD, CCFP

Dr. Stephanie Kubik has been practicing Family Medicine and teaching medical students and residents at the Cumming School of Medicine (University of Calgary) since 1992. She has been caring for patients at BCSC two days per week since 2014. Dr. Kubik has facilitated the Recovery Group program and initiated the Support Group program for breast cancer patients while at BCSC. She has found supportive cancer care very rewarding and is grateful to be a part of the amazing BCSC team. In her spare time, she loves travelling, gardening, cooking and spending time with her husband, two children and extended family and friends.

Dr. Carla Montgomery, BSc, MD, CCFP

Dr. Montgomery has been a community based family physician since 1994 and has practiced in Alberta, BC, and Ontario. Cancer survivorship has long been amongst her most significant clinical interests, and upon returning to Alberta in 2010 an opportunity at Breast Cancer Supportive Care presented itself as a meaningful fit. This particular area of work is one she holds dear, thanks to the countless ways in which patients and families have impacted her through their collective experience. Profound learning has come from the "witness and withness" required to best accompany and assist people through these challenges and she maintains that she has gained more from patients than she could ever give. She is grateful to be a part of the BCSC team, and considers it an honour and privilege to serve in this capacity given her belief that a whole person approach to moving through such time and to thriving beyond is critical to a meaningful healing process, whatever the outcome.

Dr. Carrie Abrahamson MB ChB, CCFP

Dr. Carrie Abrahamson did her medical training at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. In 2007, she moved to Lethbridge, Alberta and worked as a family physician for seven years. She relocated to Calgary in 2015 where she has been practicing family medicine ever since. She has recently joined the BCSC team and will be seeing high risk surveillance patients and breast cancer follow ups. Dr. Abrahamson feels privileged to work at BCSC and have the opportunity to give her patients the time and support they need and deserve to navigate through one of their most challenging life chapters. She hopes to help patients feel empowered and in control of their journey through surveillance, cancer treatment and beyond into survivorship.

Dr. Sydney Pearson, MD, CCFP

Dr. Sydney Pearson completed her medical training at the University of Calgary in 2018. Like many families, hers has been touched by breast cancer, and this motivates Dr. Pearson to use her medical expertise to care for and guide her patients on their road to survivorship. She is a strong advocate for women’s health—Dr. Pearson was the Founding President of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Youth Advisory Council at the University of Alberta, and the President of the Women’s Health Initiative at the University of Calgary. She is currently practicing low risk obstetrics at the Foothills Medical Centre, and will be a new addition to the Breast Cancer Supportive Care team in 2020. Outside of work, Dr. Pearson enjoys experiencing the world through the eyes of her one year old daughter.

Our team consists of the following key individuals:

Dr. Nureen Sumar, BSc, BMus, MD, CCFP

Dr. Sumar is very grateful for the opportunity to care for those affected by cancer. Nureen completed her medical degree, Family Medicine Residency, and Enhanced Skills training in Breast and Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Calgary, during which she served on numerous medical education and leadership boards, including her terms as Vice-President of the Resident Doctors of Canada (RDoC) and Chair of the RDoC Resiliency Curriculum Working Group. Nureen continues to be involved in resident leadership and wellness in a consultant capacity. She brings to BCSC her dedication to delivering high-quality patient-centred care and her passion for a comprehensive approach to cancer care and survivorship. Her clinical duties focus on high-risk surveillance and breast reconstruction counselling.

Shared Mental Health

Dr. Steve Simpson, B.Sc., PhD, MD, FRCP

Dr. Simpson is a psychiatrist employed with the Shared Mental Health Program. Dr. Simpson's role at Breast Cancer Supportive Care is to provide consultation services for any of our patients struggling with mental health issues.

Andrea Jennyc, MA Clinical Psychology, R. Psych

Andrea has a Masters degree in Psychological Research specializing in Clinical Neuropsychology, as well as a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from South Africa. She worked at a psychiatric hospital in South Africa, in both the inpatient and outpatient departments, specializing in forensic psychological rehabilitation, as well as substance abuse, acute psychosis, and various other psychiatric disorders such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders and personality disorders. Andrea also supervised intern clinical psychologists and has been working for the adult Shared Mental Health Care Program since moving to Calgary in July 2013.

Kristin Zernicke PhD, R. Psych

Dr. Kristin Zernicke is a clinical psychologist who works in the Shared Mental Health Care Program (AHS) in collaboration with Primary Care physicians. Her role at BCSC is to provide consultative services to Dr. Kubik and Dr. Sumar and their patients. Dr. Zernicke completed her pre-doctoral residency with Alberta Health Services through the Edmonton Consortium. Her research interests have included the areas of health psychology and behavioral medicine with a focus on mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindfulness-based cancer recovery (TBCC), strategies for management of irritable bowel syndrome, motivational interviewing, behavioral change and online therapies and interventions.

Child & Adolescent Shared Mental Health Care (CASMHC)

Chennene Wright, MSW, RSW, Mental Health Clinician

The CASMHC program is collaborative care consultation mode of practise involving family physicians/pediatricians working with the CASMHC clinician to deliver mental health services to children and adolescents. Most mental health research indicates that up to 25% of children/adolescents will experience emotional/behavioural/psychological problems. Only one third of these children/adolescents will receive professional services for these problems, most of them through their family doctor. Many mental health issues can be identified, diagnosed, and if treated promptly, the resulting impact on learning and development can be substantially minimized. The CASMHC clinician will work with the physician and patient in their offices to assess, diagnose, and where appropriate deliver interventions for these problems. The program aim is to enhance physician capacity in the areas of mental health, with the physician retaining medical responsibility for patient care. The CASMHC clinician also has access to psychiatric consultation where appropriate. Referring patients to other treatment services are done in consultation with the physician and family members.

Medical Team