Meet the Team

Colleen Ahern, MS, LCGC

Genetic Counselor
Colleen Ahern began working for Dignity Health in December 2017 as a Sacramento based genetic counselor specializing in breast and ovarian cancer. Since starting at the Cancer Genetics Program Colleen has transitioned into a remote counselor role and now works from her home in Juneau, AK. Colleen is a graduate of the Joan H. Marks Graduate Program in Human Genetics from Sarah Lawrence College and recently completed the Intensive Course in Genomic Cancer Risk Assessment through City of Hope. She is passionate about helping patients and families understand their personal and genetic risk factors. In her free time Colleen enjoys running, rock climbing, hiking, and exploring all that Southeast Alaska has to offer.

Ashley Navarro, MS, LCGC

Genetic Counselor
Ashley Navarro joined the Dignity Health Cancer Genetics Program in March 2018 as a full time remote genetic counselor. She works from her home in Portland, OR. Ashley is a graduate of the Stanford University School of Medicine Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling program. Prior to joining our team, she worked hard alongside an oncologist creating and running a cancer genetics screening and prevention program within Sutter Health in the Bay Area. Her entire career as a genetic counselor has been focused on providing care for patients with personal or family history of cancer. She has had specialized training in health literacy courses. Her passion is to provide genetic counseling services to underprivileged populations. When she is not working, she enjoys swimming, hiking and outdoor adventures with her sweet toddler by her side.

Jolene Saetern

Genetic Counseling Assistant
Jolene Saetern joined the Dignity Health Cancer Genetics Program in August 2018 as a full time genetic counseling assistant. She has been working for Dignity Health since 2015 as a receptionist for the Mercy Cancer Center Midtown location. In her current role, Jolene manages new referrals, schedules appointments, coordinates sample collections for genetic testing, and works with insurance companies to ensure genetic testing is covered. Jolene has a special interest in the nursing field. When not working, she likes to catch up on school work, spend time with her kids, and binge-watch TV series.