Dr Henriette Burger is the newly appointed Head of the Division of Radiation Oncology at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University (SU). Her mission is twofold, namely to deliver a high-quality radiotherapy and chemotherapy service, and to extend the role of the Division in empowering healthcare practitioners who care for cancer patients in the community.
Burger, who is inspired by the dignity and comfort of her patients, says helping patients understand their illness and address their individual needs on their cancer journey form the basis for her personal vision for the Division. “My strategic plan will be based on four focus areas, namely nurturing human capital by creating a supportive work environment that validates growth and excellence; delivering an efficient, high-quality radiotherapy and chemotherapy service; building locally relevant research capacity; and expanding oncology education and training, especially at regional and district levels.”
A major concern is the extent to which clinical and academic staff are supported to manage their ever-increasing workload. “I consider my team to be the most important resource in the Division. Their knowledge, skills, empathy for patients, and resilience, are what keeps the service standing. It is a reality that if our staff don’t feel valued and supported, they will either burn out or seek better employment conditions elsewhere.”
As for extending locally relevant research capacity, Burger says her predecessor, Prof Hannah Simonds, laid a strong foundation for radiotherapy-focussed research and development, which she intends to strengthen and grow.
“At Tygerberg Hospital we are in the ideal position to develop research in the area of virally driven cancers that are linked to HIV, HPV, and other viral infections. The Division is fortunate to be part of a new multinational research project lead by Prof Hennie Botha that is focussed on virally driven cancers. This could inform new treatment and prevention strategies for common cancers in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“We are also fortunate to have state-of-the-art radiotherapy capabilities at Tygerberg. The challenges we need to manage are the efficient use of these technologies, keeping our specialists abreast of advanced treatment techniques, and ensuring rigorous quality assurance systems.”
Dr Burger believes doctors and nurse practitioners at all levels of the healthcare platform should feel confident when caring for cancer patients and know when and how to access tertiary level support when needed. “This will require us to invest in modern technologies to expand the teaching and training sphere and improve our clinical communication pathways.”
Journey into oncology
Burger says her interest in oncology was sparked while working as a locum in the United Kingdom after having completed her community service in the Free State. She qualified as a
medical practitioner at SU in 2001 and as a clinical oncologist at the University of Cape Town in 2011.
According to Burger, she owes a great deal to colleagues and mentors who inspired her on the road to her new position and encouraged her to achieve bigger things and not give up when the challenges started stacking up.
“I worked as a specialist in Groote Schuur Hospital’s Oncology Division from 2012 to 2015, from where I transferred to the Tygerberg Hospital team. Here I was mentored by Prof Simonds in clinical research practice and gained valuable experience through leading collaborative research studies in the fields of palliative medicine, Kaposi sarcoma, and urological cancers.
“With Prof Simonds’ support and that of other senior SU researchers like Profs Hennie Botha, Johann Schneider, and Vikash Sewram, I have built collaborative research relationships with international investigators both in the US and Europe.”
Palliative medicine
Since 2017, Burger and a network of external palliative care experts have played an important role in designing and implementing palliative care courses for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, including an undergraduate module for the MB,ChB group and a postgraduate short course for family physicians. “I also facilitate a targeted year-long palliative care module for oncology registrars and gynae-oncology fellows in collaboration with UCT.”
Dr Burger is currently assisting the curriculum renewal team in integrating palliative medicine (PM) across the revised undergraduate MB,ChB curriculum and says, “My job will be done when the Faculty has built enough PM teaching capacity to support its own PM curriculum.”
She is currently completing her master’s degree in palliative medicine through UCT on the topic of advance care planning communication.
The bigger picture
When she is not absorbed by her very demanding job, Henriette enjoys theatre, art, travelling, and all forms of music. “I make sure I get my fill of arts and literature at the US Woordfees and the Suidoosterfees every year.”
She shares her life with her space-engineer husband who is a cancer-survivor, her teenage son, and two stepdaughters, who are embarking on their university careers. “They inspire and support me to take on new challenges and to always see the bigger picture,” Burger says.
