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Patient Navigator

The National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP) places emphasis on seamlessly navigating patients through the continuum of care in the shortest amount of time medically possible. As an original NCCCP site, we've worked hard to incorporate the program's core focuses: the disparities initiative, which includes patient navigation, and the advocacy initiative, which includes social work and social workers.

Patient Navigators
Patient navigators can:

• Provide education to assist you in understanding your diagnosis and treatment options
• Act as a patient advocate on your behalf
• Provide access to clinical trials
• Decrease barriers to treatment
• Help you coordinate your physician appointments and assist with physician referrals
• Coordinate delivery of test results, lab work and X-rays
• Introduce you to survivorship programs.

Our patient navigators include:

• Krista Aliffi, RN, BSN, CBPN - Breast cancer patient navigator
• Dana Coleman, RN, OCN - Oncology patient navigator
• Nina Gentry, RN - Breast diagnostic navigator
• Joyce Ross, RN, OCN - Oncology patient navigator

Patient Resource Navigators (Social Workers)
A patient resource navigator (a social worker) is available to assist you with financial programs and information related to your diagnosis, provide links to community agencies and services, and give support to you, your family and caregivers.

The navigation program at the LCRP promotes:

• Education and assistance navigating through the diagnostic tests and treatment regimens
• Psychosocial support and counseling
• Financial assistance
• Treatment-compliance issues, whether it is transportation, finances or psychosocial issues.

Our patient resource navigators include:

• Marcia Thompson, BSW - Addresses support needs from psychosocial issues to financial assistance, drug replacement programs and co-pay assistance. Marcia is also a cancer survivor.
• Marilyn Johnson, BSW - Assists patients to better utilize all of the resources offered through the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the LCRP.

Outreach Navigator
The LCRP's develops and conducts educational programs to increase awareness in the community on the prevention and early detection of cancer with an emphasis on decreasing healthcare disparities and increasing clinical trial enrollment.

For more information or to contact a patient navigator, please call 912-819-5704 or 800-819-1081.