Melanie Baxter, ScM, CGC
Saint Francis Healthcare System welcomes Certified Genetic Counselor Melanie Baxter, ScM, CGC to the Saint Francis Cancer Institute.
Genetic counselors are knowledgeable and up-to-date on the constantly changing field of genetics. They are trained to tailor, translate and communicate complex genetic information into practical, understandable decision-making information that providers and patients can use for health management.
Baxter earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She earned her Master’s degree in Genetic Counseling in 2009 from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, a joint program between the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is certified through the American Board of Genetic Counseling.
Baxter brings more than ten years of cancer genetics experience, having previously worked in several prominent positions, including genetic results interpretation and report writing at GeneDx and Senior Cancer Genetic Counselor at InformedDNA. She was also previously a Clinical Cancer Genetic Counselor (part-time) at Saint Francis Medical Center and Clinical Cancer Genetic Counselor & Research Study Coordinator at the Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University in St. Louis.
Baxter and her husband, Michael, have two young daughters. She enjoys her early morning workouts at Nearly Perfect Crossfit and her volunteer work as a member of the Zonta Club of Cape Girardeau, a service organization dedicated to advancing the status of women.
