Blooming Kindness & Compassion March 19, 2026 When Family Nurse Practitioner Karen DuBois joined Samaritan, she brought more than decades of hematology and oncology experience — she also brought a garden full of compassion. About eight years ago, DuBois found herself at a crossroads in her work as an advanced oncology certified nurse practitioner. “The patients I see are often uncertain of their prognosis and no one looks forward to meeting with an oncologist or hearing difficult news,” she said. “I wanted to do something where people are happy to see you. I wanted to make people smile.” DuBois decided to combine her two passions, flowers and caring for patients. She began growing flowers from seed and cultivating blooms for both their beauty and healing. “I bring a bouquet for each patient I see during flower season,” she said. “It is healing for me, and it makes people smile, especially on their worst days.” Her floral gifts have become a quiet but powerful extension of her care. From June through November, patients, nurses and front desk staff receive vibrant arrangements, often consisting of dahlias, DuBois’s personal favorite. For DuBois, pictured above with some of her beautiful blooms, these moments of connection extend far beyond the flowers. “When you care for a patient facing a cancer diagnosis or blood disorder, you walk alongside them and their families for months, sometimes years,” she said. “It is through these relationships that I gain a greater understanding of my patients’ needs beyond their disease.” The opportunity to create those deeper connections is what drew DuBois to Samaritan. “Here, we treat more than just the disease, we care for the whole person,” she said. Compassion Beyond the Clinic DuBois hosted her first plant sale at her home in Newport. She met her goal of $1,000 and proceeds went to Pacific Communities Health District Foundation’s CAN Cancer Fund. “My patients are often affected by financial burdens beyond treatment costs,” she said. “Proceeds from my plant sale support non-medical expenses, like helping pay the power bill or buy groceries.” Finding Balance “Life is busy,” DuBois said. “We all need to just stop and smell the flowers and pause to live in the moment.” Learn more about DuBois and her approach to patient care, at samhealth.org/bio/kdubois.
