Moffitt Administrative Professional Reflects on Roles as Team Member and Patient
In recognition of Administrative Professionals Day, celebrated on April 22, we highlight the vital role administrative professionals play in supporting teams, advancing care and keeping our organization running seamlessly.
Karen Lu, MD
For nearly two decades, Janice Esteves has been a steady, trusted presence at Moffitt Cancer Center working behind the scenes to keep leaders moving, meetings aligned and priorities on track. As executive assistant to Physician-in-Chief Karen Lu, MD, her days are anything but routine. Calendars shift constantly, decisions happen quickly and the pace rarely slows. But for Esteves, the work has always been about more than logistics.
“It makes me feel useful,” she said. “Like I’m helping in some small way.”
That “small way” has a ripple effect across the organization. From coordinating complex schedules to supporting physicians and leadership, Esteves plays a critical role in ensuring care teams can focus on what matters most, patients. And while administrative professionals are often unseen, their impact is deeply felt.
When the Work Becomes Personal
But Esteves’ connection to Moffitt goes beyond her role.
Three years ago, after years of routine screenings, a mammogram revealed something concerning. Within days, she found herself stepping into a different role not as a team member, but as a patient.
What she experienced during that time stayed with her. “Everyone was so kind,” she said. “They didn’t know I worked here, and it didn’t matter. They treated me as a patient and that made all the difference.”
A procedure revealed precancerous cells, and today Esteves continues regular monitoring through Moffitt’s high-risk clinic. While her outcome was positive, the experience reshaped how she sees her work and the people around her.
“I understand the patient perspective so much more now,” she said. “You never know what someone is going through. That stays with me every day.”
That perspective shows up in quiet but meaningful ways, offering directions to a lost patient, sharing a smile in the hallway or extending patience in moments that might otherwise feel routine. It’s also shaped by personal loss, including the passing of a close family friend who battled cancer and her own mother’s journey as a survivor.
These experiences have deepened her empathy and strengthened her purpose.
“What we do here matters,” she said. “Even if it’s not direct patient care, we’re all part of something bigger.”
Esteves also sees firsthand the compassion of Moffitt’s physicians and care teams. Through her work supporting leadership and coordinating initiatives like Physician of the Year, she witnesses the gratitude patients and families share and the humility with which caregivers serve. “They do this work because they love it,” she said. “Not for recognition, but because they truly care.”
What Keeps Her Going
For Esteves, Administrative Professionals Day is a moment to recognize a role that often goes unnoticed but is essential to the organization’s success. “There’s so much more to this job than people realize,” she said. “It’s not just scheduling. It’s problem-solving, prioritizing, thinking ahead. And we do it because we care.”
She credits her team, describing a culture of support, collaboration and appreciation. A simple “thank you” she says can go a long way, and at Moffitt, those moments happen often.
What keeps her motivated after 19 years?
“Walking down the hall and seeing patients still fighting,” she said. “That gives you a reason.”
