Ms. Garcia, a nurse navigator at the Northwell Health Cancer Institute, joined oncology leaders, providers and advocates at the event, which marked the one-year anniversary of the Biden administration Cancer Moonshot initiative’s achievement in making nurse navigation services reimbursable, according to a Dec. 2 news release from the health system.
Nurse navigators assist patients by securing timely appointments, managing paperwork, and coordinating services such as social work, behavioral health and physical therapy.
At the event, Ms. Garcia emphasized the need to expand navigation services and highlighted the importance of health literacy and building patient trust, the release said.
“I’m often the first person a patient speaks with after receiving a cancer diagnosis,” she said. “Having someone there to listen, to help process the impact of what that diagnosis means, and to assure them that they will not be lost in the overwhelming world that is healthcare is vital.”
The Northwell Health Cancer Institute launched its nurse navigation program in spring 2023, providing cancer care navigation services before federal reimbursement became available, Rita Mercieca, RN, chief administrator of the institute, said in the release.
“The Cancer Moonshot’s recognition of navigation as a reimbursable service is a game-changer,” Richard Barakat, MD, executive director of the cancer institute, said in the release. “It allows institutions like the Northwell’s Cancer Institute to invest further in these programs, ensuring no patient faces their cancer journey alone.”
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