Breast Oncology Navigators pave the road to recovery
There are few things more frightening to a woman than a diagnosis of breast cancer – except, perhaps, facing such a diagnosis alone.
That’s why the Wellmont Regional Cancer Network offers oncology breast navigators to guide patients through treatment at Holston Valley Medical Center and Bristol Regional Medical Center. Every breast cancer patient receives one-on-one attention to help her navigate through diagnosis, treatment and recovery – all from the very beginning.
“My role is to pick the patient up at the initial diagnosis,” said Mary Coon, a registered nurse and oncology breast navigator at Bristol Regional.
“I determine if the patient already has a surgeon, assercertain when her appointment is, attend the consultation with her, hear what the physician says, hear options and reiterate what the surgeon has stated to the patient, helping her make an informed decision about her personal treatment process.”
That same customized attention can be expected at Holston Valley, where LaCosta Brown, who is certified in breast cancer and general oncology, is the oncology breast care coordinator.
“Not everyone has the same life,” Brown said. “Not everyone has the same needs. We coordinate their care around their life to our best ability.”
Navigators aid patients in coordinating office visits and treatments so all their time isn’t spent at the hospital. Navigators also provide valuable tools such as information on how to find additional funding for care, where to meet with local support groups and where to find wigs.
In addition, navigators attend weekly multidisciplinary conferences to discuss post-operative and newly diagnosed patients – one at a time. Also attending those sessions are physicians and staff members from radiology, pathology, surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, clinical trials, genetic counseling and plastic surgery departments.
“We do these because it puts more heads on the case,” Coon said. “It gives us all a better approach to a patient’s treatment. It gives me great confidence knowing I’m recommending the right options for my patients.”
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