Education & Medical Training:

Medical Education

Pace University, Masters in Nursing

Additional Languages Spoken:

Hebrew

About Me:

Erica Kessler, RN, FNP-BC, leads the cancer genetics program at the Patricia Lynch Cancer Center. With a strong passion for genetics, Erica uses her strengths and skills to educate patients and perform comprehensive assessments.

At Holy Name, Ms. Kessler is dedicated to enabling all patients at risk for hereditary cancer access to genetic testing and counseling. She also leads efforts to educate patients about cancer genetics and the implications of testing. Primarily, she reinforces that testing does not indicate that patients will get cancer but the testing results may inform if patients have a predisposition to the disease. Erica finds it rewarding to help patients become better informed of screenings, risk-reduction tactics or additional care that may enhance their well-being.

Before coming to Holy Name, she worked for several years in genetics research and was instrumental in developing the first NYC-based multidisciplinary clinic for patients with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. Prior to her work in genetics, Erica was a labor and delivery nurse and an outpatient dermatology nurse.

Ms. Kessler graduated from Yeshiva University as part of the S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program. She attended New York University’s College of Nursing and received her Master’s in Nursing from Pace University.

Ms. Kessler holds the National Consortium of Breast Centers’ Cancer Genetic Risk Assessment Certification (CGRA). This certification has been developed to acknowledge the healthcare professionals with clinical experience and advanced knowledge in cancer genetics and cancer risk assessment.