Ashley O'Donnell, RN, MSN, CNL
Medical Oncology & Hematology Clinic and Adult Infusion Services Manager
John Stoddard Cancer Center
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My name is Ashley, and I work at Stoddard Cancer Center as an Oncology Services Manager. Although I am new to this role, I come with a variety of experiences including Emergency Room Nursing, Neurology, Care Coordination, Quality Improvement and Nursing Management. I chose to pursue this opportunity as I wanted to join Stoddard Cancer Center as they have a wonderful mission and vision for their patients. My goal for myself and my staff is to support and offer hope to our patients as they go through their cancer journey, from diagnosis to treatment and beyond.
When I am not at work, you can find me with my husband and 3 children, ages 7, 5 and 2 as they are always keeping me very busy!
Welcome, Ashley!
| | With the addition of the John Stoddard Cancer Center – Medical Oncology and Hematology Clinic, the central Iowa community now has access to comprehensive care delivered by a multidisciplinary team, covering the full continuum of cancer care services, from diagnosis through survivorship, all under one roof. This expansion allows us to provide an even more seamless and coordinated experience for you. | | 2025 Free Cancer Screening Update | | |
Stoddard Cancer Center provides free cancer screenings in the community.
- In 2025, 18 patients were screened for colorectal cancer through the Scope it Out Free Colonoscopy program.
- There were 105 patients who received a free skin cancer screening.
- So far in 2025, Stoddard Cancer Center has paid for 22 individuals to receive free screening mammograms, diagnostic mammograms, and ultrasounds through the Pink Days Free Mammogram Program.
Screening saves lives!
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Podcast
Dish with Nish Podcast is a series exploring topics of interest in cancer prevention, the human spirit and how new ideas are changing cancer care. Dr. Andrew Nish, Medical Director at the Stoddard Cancer Center, hosts insightful conversations with doctors, health care workers and patients discussing various aspects of health and cancer care. To listen to his latest episodes, including Writing Circle Mondays, click here. Scroll to 'Dish with Nish Podcast'.
| | | | Upcoming Classes, Programs & Events | | |
Hybrid Support Groups
Stoddard Cancer Center has transitioned most support groups to hybrid meetings, so participants have the option of attending in-person or virtually. For information on when groups meet and how to join, click here and contact the phone number listed for the group you are interested in attending.
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Meals That Matter at Home
This program offers four weeks of weekly delivery of fruits and vegetables to the homes of cancer patients and survivors. If you are a patient of Stoddard Cancer Center, you can receive your pantry and produce boxes free of charge with a scholarship from the Charlie Cutler Healing and Wellness Program. To learn more or register, visit johnstoddardcancer.org and look under "Classes and Events" for current offerings.
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Black Women 4 Healthy Living
Black Women 4 Healthy Living (BW4HL) hosts the Black Women’s Health Coalition at Corinthian Baptist Church on the third Saturday of each month. The focus is on Black women and their health and wellness. Health Assessments are given monthly to measure progress. The group engages in some low-impact physical activity and discusses a health-related topic unique to Black women. These events are completely free, and ALL Black women are welcome to join. For more information or to register, visit www.bw4hl.org.They also host a breast cancer support group for black women.
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Rooted in Nature
UnityPoint Health - Des Moines partners with Polk County Conservation to create health and wellness programs that are focused on improving health with a connection to nature. For a list of classes, click here.
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Intertwined
Forest bathing (also called forest therapy) is a wellness practice rooted in scientific research that helps individuals engage with the natural world using all the senses in order to reap positive physiological and psychological benefits. It’s more than a walk in the woods; it’s an immersion into the full experience of the forest and nature. For upcoming opportunities, click here.
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Cancer Support Community
Offers online support groups for cancer patients, survivors and caregivers. Click here for more information.
| | Jen Witt, Oncology Navigator at Stoddard Cancer Center, was featured in the October edition of the SPOHNC (Support for People with Oral, Head and Neck Cancer) magazine. | | Congratulations to Victoria Crouch, PCT, from Powell 3 at IMMC who was nominated by a patient’s daughter for her compassionate care. The nomination read, “My dad was in the hospital for 56 days in the ICU and Powell 3. He is now in skilled nursing with the hope of returning home soon. None of that would have been possible without the care of the nurses AND PCTs on Powell 3. Victoria did an excellent job pushing (lovingly!) for my dad to eat, sit up in and move! She spoke to him like an encouraging friend would when you need tough love and didn’t tiptoe around any issues. Her extra care was definitely felt, and I was relieved to have Victoria on our team bugging my dad to stay on the task of healing! THANK YOU!” This marked her 10th nomination. Great work, Victoria! | | |
EMPOWER Boutique Volunteers Needed
Are you passionate about supporting patients with cancer? Are you interested in listening to their stories and helping them access affirming goods and services?
We are looking for caring, compassionate volunteers with experience navigating cancer diagnoses and treatment to help in our EMPOWER Boutique Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, anytime from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Our EMPOWER Boutique is a space where cancer patients can access free goods and services like wigs and wig styling, port pillows, head scarves, and much more. Donating just two hours of your time each week would allow the store to be open more and positively impact the lives of our patients and their families!
If you are interested in volunteering with us, the online application can be accessed through a link: bit.ly/m/uphvolunteerapp. If you have any questions or need assistance in accessing the application, please contact Erin Bode at erin.bode@unitypoint.org or by phone at (515)241-8108.
| | Mark your calendar for June 6, 2026. Rally Against Cancer, presented by GreenState Credit Union, is moving to spring and we can’t wait to see you there. This fun and impactful event will feature an incredible speaker, live music, food stations and most importantly, raises support for cancer patients at Stoddard Cancer Center. | | |
We’re proud to introduce Cooler Heads’ Amma™, the first FDA-cleared, portable scalp cooling system designed to help reduce hair loss during chemotherapy. This innovative therapy gently lowers the temperature of the scalp before, during and after treatment, limiting how much chemotherapy reaches the hair follicles.
Current patients interested in learning more, should talk to their care team or call the EMPOWER Boutique at (515) 241-4243.
This is made possible in part through philanthropic support.
| | A big thank you to the Des Moines branch of Titan Tire International for raising more than $34,000 for Stoddard Cancer Center through their annual Ride to a Cure Event! Their gift supports the Pink Days Free Mammogram Program. | | |
A big thank you to the Fraternal Order of Eagles – Iowa State Aerie and Auxiliary (Iowa State FOE) for donating $3,000 to the EMPOWER Salon at Stoddard Cancer Center.
Generous gifts like this give cancer patients access to free salon services like haircuts, nail appointments, and more – helping patients feel and look their best.
| | We are so grateful to our friends at Nebraska Furniture Mart for their recent $1,000 gift supporting the Oncology Navigator Program at Stoddard Cancer Center. The Oncology Navigator team of nurse navigators, social workers, and a financial navigator guide patients through every step of their cancer journey. | | |
Earlier this year, Stoddard Cancer Center patient, Kody, passed following his journey with cancer. Inspired by his love of fishing and the incredible care he received, his parents created a fishing tournament, Casting for Kody, in his honor.
A community of loved ones gathered to fish in his memory, raising more than $6,000 for Stoddard Cancer Center! This special tribute will directly benefit cancer patients receiving care.
| | The Neumann Heart Fund was created to strengthen Central Iowa by supporting nonprofits working on some of our region’s most pressing needs. Categories to support and recipients were chosen by Neumann employees. They raised $2,500 to support the Meals That Matter Program. | | Dr. Amankwah, Medical Oncologist at Stoddard Cancer Center, was the guest speaker at the Black Women for Healthy Living Pretty in Pink Walk on October 5. | | Cancer patients and survivors came together for a rejuvenating day of healing and reflection at the Cancer Patient & Survivor Self-Care Retreat on October 12. Participants explored the natural healing path of Shinrin Yoku (Japanese forest bathing), art therapy, Tai Chi and a writing circle. | | Oncology professionals gathered for two days of learning at the "On the Horizon of Oncology Care" conference put on by Stoddard Cancer Center on November 6 & 7. | | Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Lentil Soup | | Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. | | |
By Sarah DiGregorio (This recipe has been modified from the original version)
Yield: 4 - 6 servings
Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
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INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound 12 ounces tomatoes, roughly chopped, divided (see Tip)
- 1 ½ cups red lentils, rinsed
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
- 1 large basil sprig plus 1 cup roughly chopped basil
- 1 can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Black pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ¾ cup coconut milk
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DIRECTIONS
Step 1 - In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, combine 5 cups water, about 1 pound of the tomatoes (no need to be exact) along with any juices, the lentils, garlic, basil sprig, tomato paste, olive oil, salt, oregano and several generous grinds of black pepper. Cook on high for 4 hours.
Step 2 - Remove and discard the basil sprig. (It’s OK if it falls apart.) Whisk the soup vigorously to help the tomatoes and lentils fall apart and become smooth.
Step 3 - Stir in the remaining tomatoes and chopped basil, plus the lemon juice and the coconut milk. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary. The soup will thicken as it cools; add more water as necessary for the texture you like.
Tip - Feel free to use any kind of tomato that you have on hand: Almost-falling apart beefsteaks would be lovely, as would cherry tomatoes or plum tomatoes. (If you use all cherry tomatoes, just be aware that there will be more tomato skin in the soup, so choose thinner skinned varieties, like Sungold, if you can.) Outside of tomato season, use a 15-ounce can of tomatoes to start, and finish with chopped cherry or grape tomatoes, which tend to be better than other varieties out of season.
| | Thoughts From an Oncology Social Worker | | |
Deanna Rudolph, Oncology Social Worker at Stoddard Cancer Center, shares an article she wrote entitled:
Lead with Love
Most of us can recognize the voice or face of the beloved actor, Betty White, who, when she died at just one day shy of her one-hundredth birthday, the entire world mourned. She has always been a source of strong wit and humor, and in my eyes, lived a magnificent life. I recently read an account of Betty’s final day. It included her having a wholesome breakfast, reading fan mail, watching Jeopardy, and doing the daily crossword, as was her routine. She also sat in her favorite peaceful sunroom, all in the home her late husband built in the 1960’s. She had been working on a tribute piece for a planned “100-years-young” virtual celebration and left a video message to her fans just the day prior to her death saying, “Keep smiling, and keep being kind. That’s the real secret.” A wise, honorable message of hope to the entire world. Her legacy lives on in her memory and in her work; in the laughter from people enjoying the old re-runs, keeps her spirit alive. Her message of kindness remains ever so important, reminding me of the legacy left behind by my dear, late grandpa.
Gramps, as we endearingly called him, lived a life where nothing kept him down for long. He was a man who opened his heart to people with unconditional love, kindness, generosity, and led life with wisdom from learning to work hard, find peace in quiet moments, and truly live every minute to the fullest. He was known for his quick wit, his humorous one-liners, and his zest for life, often saying, “One minute at a time” rather than the familiar saying, “One day at a time.” As time has passed on without him, I have come to realize that quite possibly, he didn’t really mean it as if his time on earth were short, but more of a hidden lesson, that we ought to take every minute for what it is worth; to appreciate it for what it really is, a gift. The gift of life—the chance to lead with love and kindness, and to teach and learn lessons of both. A chance to create life and leave a legacy behind us.
Gramps worked hard every day of his life. He smiled and whistled as he worked and happily marched on finding ways to stay busy and conversations to be had. In his presence, you would find acceptance and unconditional love. A love that couldn’t be duplicated and was free of judgement. He was joyfully eager to hear what you had to say and to know what you thought. No one was a stranger to him or his generous spirit, both with money and time. He would have been so proud to know about the work we do at John Stoddard. A cancer survivor himself; he was never afraid to pull up the proverbial bootstraps and trudge forward through the deepest of waters. He was fearless in the pursuit of what brought himself and others the most fun and happiest of times. He taught a life’s worth of lessons to everyone who knew him, and like the legacy Betty left on for others, it brought warmth, kindness, and comfort to everyone.
As we approach this Holiday season, I urge you to do what makes you and those you love happy and having fun. Live this season peacefully or find a new adventure, appreciating every minute at a time.
My best,
Deanna
| | Happy Holidays from your friends at John Stoddard Cancer Center! | | | | |
