Since graduating from UR, Kandace Peterson McGuire, ’98, has propelled herself into a top surgeon. Last month, she was named chief of breast surgery and the surgical leader of the Multidisciplinary Breast Health Center at Virginia Commonwealth University and Massey Cancer Center.

And now she’s leading the charge to improve patient care in the Richmond region. 

McGuire knew long before her time at Richmond that she wanted to be a doctor, but her career started coming into focus during her senior year, when her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her biology major helped her understand the doctors and she often translated the medical terminology into plain language for her parents.

“It made me a much better doctor,” she says. “I make a special effort to make sure that I am talking at a level that my patients can understand, because not everyone’s going to have their college kid with them to tell them what the doctor meant. 

Now, heading up the breast surgery department will give McGuire a chance to shape a program from top to bottom. “I’ve been absorbing like a sponge for the last 20 years,” she says, “and now it’s time to ring that sponge out.” 

Diving right in, McGuire is working to create a comprehensive care clinic where a newly diagnosed patient can come to one office on one day and meet with every provider involved in her care. No driving from location to location or calling around to get questions answered.

In addition to her new role, McGuire says there’s one more benefit to the move to VCU: the chance to “come home.”

“I met my husband [Phillip McGuire, ’98] here, my in-laws live here,” she says. “A lot of our college friends live here. Of all the places that we’ve moved, we always come back to Richmond.”

Welcome back, Kandace! We can’t wait to see more of you — and see what you do for women in Richmond.