When Raquel Ortiz discovered a lump during a routine gynecology appointment in March 2025, she was stunned. Just three months earlier, her annual mammogram had been clear.

“I was completely caught off guard,” Ortiz recalls. “I’ve always been a compliant patient. I get my screenings every year. I kept asking, ‘How is this possible?'”

A biopsy confirmed the diagnosis she never expected: early-stage triple-negative breast cancer.

For someone who has spent more than 25 years working in healthcare leadership, Ortiz’s instinct was to rely on the professional connections she’d built throughout her career. As a former healthcare executive in the Hudson Valley, she knew many physicians and health systems where she could seek treatment.

But her primary care physician had another recommendation. “He told me, ‘I really don’t want you to go anywhere else. I want you to go to Good Samaritan,'” Ortiz says. Within hours, Good Samaritan Hospital’s Breast Center had received her records and scheduled her to meet with a breast surgeon the very next morning.

“Talk about access to care,” Ortiz says. “It all happened so quickly.”

More than a treatment plan

Although Ortiz sought a second opinion at another respected cancer center, she found that both physicians recommended essentially the same course of treatment: surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

The difference wasn’t the medicine; it was how she felt. “When I met with the breast surgeon, she gave me something I didn’t even realize I needed,” Ortiz says. “She gave me peace.” Ortiz remembers her doctor looking her in the eye and saying, “This is scary, but you’re going to be okay.”

“She was direct, compassionate and full of hope,” Ortiz says. “Those words became my anchor.” That conversation confirmed her decision to receive all of her care at Good Samaritan Hospital.

A team that treated more than cancer

Ortiz underwent a lumpectomy in April 2025. During surgery, additional lymph nodes were removed after identifying concerning tissue, extending what was expected to be an outpatient procedure into an overnight hospital stay. She then began five months of weekly chemotherapy and 22 radiation treatments that concluded in December.

Throughout every step, Ortiz says she never felt like just another patient.

Medical oncologist Bilal Farooqi, MD, made sure every question she and her husband had was answered. “He never rushed us,” she says. “He always asked, ‘What else can I help you with?’ It reminded me that I wasn’t just a number. I was being treated with respect and dignity.”

The infusion nurses also became an important source of comfort during what Ortiz considered the most intimidating part of treatment. “Not knowing what every drip was going to do to my body was scary,” she says. “But Julia Arras and the entire nursing team were incredible. They were calm, reassuring and made both me and my husband feel like family.”

Even the smallest moments left a lasting impression. Ortiz remembers being greeted by name every visit, seeing fresh flowers at the front desk and receiving hugs from staff members during follow-up appointments.

“It’s all the little things you don’t expect that really touch your heart,” she says.

Seeing healthcare through a patient’s eyes

Despite months of treatment, Ortiz continued working throughout her cancer journey. Her employer arranged a flexible schedule that allowed her to work remotely after chemotherapy sessions, giving her the sense of purpose and normalcy she needed.

As a healthcare executive, she found that the experience transformed the way she thinks about patient care. “I’ve been in healthcare for many years,” she says. “What I experienced at Good Samaritan is what I would want every patient to experience.”

Watching physicians, nurses, leaders and support staff work together reinforced what exceptional care truly looks like. “They weren’t just treating my cancer,” Ortiz says. “They were taking care of my heart and my spirit, too.”

Looking ahead with gratitude

Today, Ortiz is in remission and continues regular surveillance with her care team. Follow-up imaging and bloodwork have shown no evidence of disease, and she remains grateful for both her recovery and the people who helped her get there.

The experience changed her perspective on life. “It taught me to slow down,” she says. “Work will always be there, but your family is irreplaceable. You learn to appreciate the little moments—the chance to wake up in the morning, to see the sunrise, to simply be present.”

Looking back, Ortiz believes she was exactly where she was meant to be.

“I truly believe God was intentional in placing Good Samaritan on my path,” she says. “Every encounter reminded me that I wasn’t fighting this battle alone.”