Program Highlight
This week’s Program Highlight takes a look at Indiana Regional Medical Center, M Dorcas Clark MD, Women’s Imaging Center located in Indiana, PA. Indiana Regional covers 5 counties, including Indiana, Armstrong, Westmoreland, Cambria, and Jefferson. Patient navigation services started 4 1/2 years ago. The following is a synopsis of the type of navigation program Indiana Regional runs.
What type of navigators are a part of this program?
- Clinical – Nurse Navigator
- Outreach – Nurse Navigator, Outreach Coordinator for Amish/Mennonite
- IRMC – Institute for Healthy Living multi-discipline educators and outreach coordinators, working relationship with ACS, Susan G Komen
- Social Support – Nurse Navigator, Radiation Oncology Coordinator,
- ACS
What is their average caseload/month?
- 10 patients/month
- Ongoing Cases for navigation vary – open door policy for patient, spouses, and families
Type of program
- Nurse Clinical Navigation from Screening through diagnostics and treatment referrals
- Nurse Counseling Navigation from Screening through Treatment
- Support Group Programs
- Spirit of Women Educational Programs
- Amish/Mennonite Breast Health and Healthy Lifestyle Outreach Programs
- Birdie’s Closet – Staff Coordinator
How is the program funded?
- Clinical Nurse Navigator is a medical center employee – paid by the medical center
- Spirit of Women is medical center funded
- Amish/Mennonite is Susan G Komen/medical center./community supported
- Birdie’s Closet is Community funded – Coordinator is medical center funded
Patient Type
- Nurse Navigation is breast cancer diagnostics
- Spirit of Women is for all women
- Birdie’s Closet benefits all women
Most successful moment:
- Progression of Navigator Pathway to include treatment team referrals and pre and post op counseling sessions
- Opening of Women’s Library / Resource Center
- Opening of Birdie’s Closet and Purse of Hope
Most difficult challenge
- Case Development and Recording Data System
- Having enough time for everything
How is this program being evaluated?
- Individual Program Evaluations
- Annual Surveys to mailing list
- Press Ganey Scores
- Meditech Data Collection
- Direct patient
- Community staff
- Administration feedback
What should new navigator programs be thinking about?
- Look at what other organizations have done – visit and talk with them
- Collect supporting data and evidence to understand the importance of what you are doing
- Start with a 5 Year Goal – Strategic Action Plan for accomplishment
- Make it fun and creative…the sky is the limit
Contact Information
Sue Majoris RN, Women’s Health Nurse Navigator M Dorcas Clark MD, Women’s Imaging Center 835 Hospital Road Indiana, PA 15701 smajoris@indianarmc.org sue.majoris@gmail.com 724-357-8081 center 724-357-1003 office 724-349-2407 faxTags: acs, birdie's closet, breast cancer, indiana regional medical center, nurse navigator, outreach, spirit of women
Sue,
What a great job in growing your program!