PEP Talks with Moffitt

Forty years ago, Moffitt Cancer Center opened its doors with a bold vision and a promise to make a difference in the lives of people facing cancer.

In this special 40th anniversary episode of PEPTalks, longtime Moffitt team members gather around the table to remember the early days, reflect on decades of growth and innovation, and talk about the culture that has remained at the heart of Moffitt through it all.

From paper charts and quiet hallways to groundbreaking research, expanding campuses and generations of team members, their stories reveal something that hasn't changed: a shared commitment to patients, to one another and to the mission.

Featuring archival reflections from H. Lee Moffitt, this is a conversation about where we've been, what we've built together — and the legacy we're carrying forward.

Welcome to PEP Talks and our series, Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?, where we introduce you to the people whose stories help bring Moffitt’s culture of care to life.

Sometimes those people work here. Sometimes they are patients or family members whose experiences remind us why the smallest moments matter.

John Robertson came to Moffitt for prostate cancer treatment frightened and uncertain. He says he was looking for weakness everywhere—but instead, he found strength.

He found it in the smallest moments of his experience: a warm welcome, a reassuring smile, a cup of coffee, and a team member who helped him believe he could take the next step.

But John didn’t simply leave Moffitt grateful. He became a student of the culture he experienced here—and began asking how he could bring that same intentional care back into his own neighborhood, to the vulnerable children and families his organization serves across Florida.

In John’s story, the care he received here didn’t stop at Moffitt’s doors. It traveled with him.

This is The Extra Inch.

In this series, we’re stepping beyond job titles and

Wanda Lane and Marcy Devlin have shared a marriage, a

Sometimes the people we pass in the hallway every day have stories that would completely change the way we see them—if we only took the time to ask.

In this episode of PEPTalks, we're introducing you to someone many of our team members already know... and someone else they almost certainly recognize.

Leigh Dittman is an ambulatory nurse in our Genome Clinic, and wherever Leigh goes, her faithful service dog, Nerf, is never far behind.

But behind that familiar partnership is an extraordinary story of resilience, determination, and the people who believed in her long before she believed in herself.

Leigh was born with osteogenesis imperfecta—better known as brittle bone disease—and has spent much of her life on the other side of healthcare. Today, she brings those experiences with her into every patient interaction, reminding us that compassion isn't just something we do... it's something we become.

This is Leigh's story.

There are moments in life when everything changes.

For Heidi Nash, that moment came not once, but twice.

The first was hearing the words "you have breast cancer." After months of treatment, surgery, and radiation, she believed the hardest chapter was behind her.

Then, just over a year later, she learned the cancer had returned as Stage IV metastatic breast cancer.

But this isn't just a story about a diagnosis.

It's the story of finding hope in unexpected places... of discovering extraordinary compassion in the middle of overwhelming uncertainty... and of becoming part of the very team that helped carry her through.

Today, Heidi shares her journey from patient to Moffitt team member, reminding us that healing isn't only found in medicine—it's also found in people.

Sometimes life changes in a single phone call.

But what happened next made her story even more extraordinary.

In this episode of PEP Talks, we hear the story of a young mother navigating cancer treatment and pregnancy at the same time — while raising a one-year-old son, running a business, and trying to hold onto hope in the middle of overwhelming uncertainty.

This is a story about fear, faith, family, and the team of people who reminded one patient that she wasn’t fighting alone.

At Moffitt, we often tell the stories of our patients—but behind every patient experience is someone who shows up each day with compassion, purpose, and heart.

So… who are the people in your neighborhood?

The teammate down the hall who always goes the extra mile.

In this new series, we’re turning the spotlight inward—sharing the stories, the “why,” and the heart of the people who make Moffitt what it is.

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Before we introduce you to the people in our neighborhood, we wanted to start somewhere special.

At Moffitt, we have a Gratitude Wall—a place where patients and families share messages about the team members who made a difference in their journey.

In this episode, you’re going to hear those words… read by the very people they were written about.

These aren’t just thank-you notes.

So as you listen, we invite you to hear not just what was done… but the heart behind it.

Because this is who the people in our neighborhood truly are.

Moffitt’s International Patient Services team is an incredible group of team members who walk alongside patients and families coming from all over the world in search of hope and healing.

This episode goes beyond coordination and logistics. It’s about what happens when someone leaves behind everything familiar: home, language and culture, to face one of the hardest seasons of their life.

You’ll hear how this team becomes more than a service… they become connection, comfort, and family. And you’ll hear from Charlie, a patient, and our host,  whose journey began with a call from Honduras and led him here.

This is a story about breaking down barriers to access, but even more than that, it’s a story about compassion, connection, and making sure "no one walks this journey alone.”

What you'll learn in this podcast:

A Special Series from PEP Talks

Beyond the Barriers - Patient Access at Moffitt 

Beyond the Barriers is a Pep Talks series exploring what Patient Access really means at Moffitt Cancer Center.

Access at Moffitt isn’t just about opening doors; it’s about removing barriers. Whether those barriers are language, disability, housing insecurity, financial hardship, religious needs, or something invisible beneath the surface, we believe every patient deserves the same level of care, dignity and hope.

In this series, you’ll hear from the people working behind the scenes and at the bedside to ensure that no matter what challenges a patient carries with them, they receive care that is equitable, compassionate and deeply human.

Because at Moffitt, one person can make a difference, and access means everyone belongs here.

For more than 22 years, Prado Antolino, Director of Language and Communication Access at Moffitt, and her team have worked to ensure that patients who face language barriers, whether they speak Spanish, an indigenous dialect, or a language spoken by only a few thousand people in the world, are not just translated but truly understood.

This conversation goes beyond interpreters and legal requirements. It’s about heart. It’s about dignity. It’s about the moment a patient hears their own language spoken in the room and sits up with hope.

Because communication isn’t just clinical, sometimes, it’s therapeutic.

And sometimes, it’s life-saving.

A Special Series from PEP Talks

Beyond the Barriers - Patient Access at Moffitt 

Beyond the Barriers is a Pep Talks series exploring what Patient Access really means at Moffitt Cancer Center.

Access at Moffitt isn’t just about opening doors; it’s about removing barriers. Whether those barriers are language, disability, housing insecurity, financial hardship, religious needs, or something invisible beneath the surface, we believe every patient deserves the same level of care, dignity and hope.

In this series, you’ll hear from the people working behind the scenes and at the bedside to ensure that no matter what challenges a patient carries with them, they receive care that is equitable, compassionate and deeply human.

Because at Moffitt, one person can make a difference, and access means everyone belongs here.

This episode was the very first Pep Talks story recorded nearly five years ago and was originally shared only with our internal team members. As we look back on the heart of this podcast—stories of connection, compassion, and intentional care—we felt it was time to share Michelle’s story more broadly. Her experience reminds us that the fundamentals of patient experience never change: listening, presence, kindness, and hope. These are as important now as they were then, and her story continues to reflect the promise we strive to live every day.