Here to Help, Our Oncology Nurse Navigators

 When you learn you may have cancer or receive an actual diagnosis of the disease, it is often a difficult, confusing and anxious time in your life. You will have questions and concerns about your health, and you may need help in getting the care you need. To address this, The Saint Vincent Cancer Care Center has created a patient navigation program for individuals dealing with breast cancer.

Navigation is a system in which a registered nurse navigator works closely with you to help eliminate or reduce barriers to cancer care and “navigate” you through the health care system by:

• Answering questions and addressing concerns
• Helping you fill out insurance forms
• Helping you find ways to pay for health care if you don’t have insurance
• Directing you to health care services for further diagnosis or treatment
• Directing you to local resources and support
• Helping you keep track of appointments
• Helping you with transportation issues
• Helping you find more information on health care

The breast navigation improves outcomes for breast cancer according to oncology issues magazine, a national study recently showed that navigated patients were 29 percent more likely to follow up on a questionable mammogram with a breast biopsy and that those with a navigator had biopsies completed 33 percent faster. Nurse navigation also had a positive impact on five-year survival rates because of the increase in earlier detection.