Faith Regional Health Services | living WELL | Summer 2020

LEARNING YOU HAVE a seri- ous illness or preparing for a big operation can be overwhelming, leaving you frightened and facing unknowns. But there are some special people who can step in and help when that happens. They’re called patient navigators. You may never have heard of them—they’re a fairly new member of hospital health care teams. Maria O’Hare, RRT, CPFT, Cancer Patient Navigator Melissa Schultz, RN, BSN, CBCN, Oncology Patient Navigator Kathy Steffensmeier, RN, Orthopedic Patient Navigator Meet Faith Regional’s patient navigators Whether you’re facing a cancer diagnosis or preparing for a knee or hip replace- ment, Faith Regional’s patient navigators can help you navigate all aspects of your care. As you and your family interact with many providers and health care settings, your patient navigator will remain a constant point of contact to help guide, edu- cate and advocate for you. But if you’re facing a difficult diagnosis, or preparing for a hip or knee replacement, patient naviga- tors provide an extra layer of prac- tical and emotional support to help ease your stress and help you get the best care possible. Very simply, they’re your advocate—someone to whom you can turn whenever you need a helping hand. If your loved ones have a concern, a patient navi- gator will be there to help them too. Many ways they can help Just how might a patient navigator help you? In more ways than you can count. Faith Regional’s cancer naviga- tors can help set up doctor visits and medical tests so that you get timely care. They can also at- tend appointments with you and help coordinate your care among different providers so that noth- ing falls between the cracks. Our orthopedic patient navigator serves in a similar role for our total FRHS.ORG 11 joint replacement patients and even conducts Faith Regional’s Orthopedics in Motion program, designed to prepare our hip or knee replacement patients for their pre-and post-surgical care. Patient navigators also: • Help you understand your diagnosis and treatment options. •  Educate you about your follow-up medical care. •  Communicate with your health care team so that your wishes and needs are clear. •  Assist your caregivers. •  Connect you with resources and community services that can help remove barriers to your care. •  Address any concerns you have about your care. In short, a patient navigator’s crucial support allows you to focus on what’s most important: getting better. Sources: Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators; American Cancer Society; American Medical Association