Local Sponsor Spotlight

New Image, 13057 West Center Road Suite 25, Omaha
402-330-7502 or www.newimageservices.info

This is the story of a perfect fit. A perfect fit in finding a career that provides a perfect fit.   

Say what? 

Cassi Shiffermiller started her college career knowing that she was destined to be in medicine. At the University of Nebraska, she received a degree in psychology in a pre-med curriculum. But as the time grew closer to apply to medical school, Cassi instead applied to pharmacy school and made plans to attend the program at Creighton University. She moved to Omaha with her fiance, Greg Wigington, the summer before her first semester. To gain some practical experience, she took a job at Kohll’s Pharmacy and Homecare. While there, she determined that becoming a pharmacist was not her calling, either.

She did find that she enjoyed the business side of health care provision. She eventually became the manager of her store, and with that came more interesting opportunities. She explains: “The store I managed had a mastectomy fitter there. However, she left and I had to learn out of necessity how to fit our customers.” Undaunted, Cassi took the challenge and went to Chicago to train. When she returned and began working with breast cancer survivors, she  discovered that not only was it her job to fit the prosthesis, but also to listen and console. “Through this process, I began to be these women’s counselor. They had a story to tell. Many of them had to be the backbone for their families. They weren’t able  to voice their concerns, fears, tribulations. I felt that I should get some formal training and use that to help these individuals.”

Cassi returned to college, this time to UNO where she earned a masters degree in community counseling.  Her degree trained her to offer specialized therapy for depression, anxiety, post trauma  stress disorder (PTSD) , traumatic grief, isolation, body image and intimacy concerns. Meanwhile, she continued mastectomy fitting because “when I graduated, I didn’t want to give up that part of my life, as I had grown to love my career. I could see that my new education would only benefit these women.” Eventually, she decided to utilize both skills by launching her own business, New Image where she provides medical psychotherapy (as a provisional licensed mental health practitioner, PLMHP). Whether the need is to express fears, triumphs, or concerns, New Image offers support services to help individuals cope with the emotional and social impacts of a life altering event. Cassi notes that the therapy empowers individuals to feel more hopeful and in control of their lives by providing them the tools needed to manage their expectations. Individual, family and group settings are available.                                       

In addition, Cassi offers her services as a certified mastectomy fitter with her own accredited facility. She works with seven surgical offices in Omaha, five in Lincoln, Blair and West Point. She also receives referrals through word of mouth.“I see so many patients with different backgrounds and different needs. Some clients need to match their prosthesis to the unaffected breast; others have bilateral surgery and need to have a natural look that works with their proportions and skin color,” she says. Cassi can fit both the standard, pre-fabricated prosthesis or she can develop a custom prosthesis. The off-the-shelf variety is one which some women choose due to cost or preference. These prostheses have been available for many years and are familiar to clients who had their mastectomies before the introduction of the customized product. Gaining in popularity, Cassi says, is “the custom breast prosthesis. It’s cast from the woman’s healthy breast so that it is a mirror image. They are 40 % lighter and will fit into your regular bra, so that you don’t have to purchase a mastectomy bra. I do the casting at my office. The client can choose from 24 different colors, and we can add freckles or veins to simulate a natural breast. They are created by expert fabricators in Detroit.”

Along the way from student to counselor/business woman, Cassi married her fiance, Greg  Wigington. They are the parents of Landon, two and one half years, and Corinn, born this winter. Greg is in his last year of medical school at UNMC and plans to train as a pyschiatrist. Cassi said that this all works well for their overall plan.  By combining their skills and interests, she says, “We will have some wonderful opportunities in the future to help our patients and clients.”