Jacksonville Nurse Named National Lung Cancer Hero

On October 15, Jacksonville resident Carolyn Baggett will be one of four people nationwide to receive the CURE Media Group’s 2020 Lung Cancer Heroes™ award during an online ceremony.

Baggett is a nurse, lung cancer screening coordinator at Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center and an active volunteer for the American Lung Association in Florida. In 2014, she began working as a nurse navigator where she cared for people with stage 4 lung cancer. After working with many people with late-stage lung cancer, she wanted to do something to help diagnose the disease earlier. She led the efforts to develop a lung cancer screening program at Baptist MD Anderson, which opened in 2015.

“Carolyn is a committed healthcare professional and a passionate advocate for lung cancer patients. Her program is saving lives every day. To date, the program has screened more than 10,000 people for lung cancer, and found 129 lung cancers, most of which were diagnosed at an early stage,” said Bethany Webb, development manager for the Lung Association. “I am a grateful recipient of her boundless knowledge, insight and compassion for those we both serve – our friends in our community with lung disease.”

On top of her work at BMDACC, Baggett is on the Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE Cabinet, helps recruit teams for the LUNG FORCE Run/Walk, and supports the annual LUNG FORCE Expo to educate other healthcare professionals about lung disease and lung cancer.

The 2020 Lung Cancer Heroes™ awards recognize four individuals nationwide who have gone above and beyond, making a difference in the lives those affected by lung cancer. The virtual celebration will take place Thursday, October 15 from 6-7:30 p.m. EDT. More information is available here.