Introducing Anna

Welcome to Anna Rankin of Cincinnati.  Anna is a graduate student at the University of Cincinnati studding health communications.  She is specifically managing illness uncertainty through doctor/patient communications.  Anna was born with a venous malformation of right cheek, tongue, ear and neck.  She has been undergoing treatment since high school using laser, sclerotherapy and a debulking surgery.

 

Anna’s personal journey with VM sparked her interest in communication and health care, specifically how health communication can be used to help parents, children and families better manage the uncertainty that surrounds their disease.  She is currently doing research at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the Hemangioma and Vascular Malformation Clinic with Dr. Denise Adams.  She is also representing NOVA to the clinic, sharing her experiences as a patient.  As a NOVA family advocate she will use her experience in health communication to improve communication for NOVA families and their doctors. 

 

Anna is a member of the NOVA facebook group and will be responding to posts there and on the NOVA blog.  If any of our families would like to communicate with Anna you can reach her through NOVA. 

Anna can be reached by email through NOVA at arankin@mail.novanews.org