Alessandra was able to help build the culture of collaboration within the multidisciplinary team, expanding the awareness of our role, creating provider buy-in and valuable departmental partnerships.—Tania S. Santos, MSN, RN, OCN, ONN-CG
Manager of Patient Navigation, Miami Cancer Institute
Alessandra Alvarez, BSN, BHSA, RN, OPN-CG
Oncology Team with Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida
A CATCH is a navigation success story where a navigation tactic improved a patient’s situation. The CATCH Initiative, short for Catching & Addressing Threats to Care & Health, tracks and acknowledges positive outcomes of navigation tactics.
The CATCH of the Month
Background: One of Alessandra’s patients lives more than 100 miles from the cancer center in an isolated region with limited access to specialty cancer care. When a visit to the cancer center was necessary, the patient had a 2- to 4-hour commute, depending on the location of the scheduled treatment.
The Incident: The patient, unable to speak due to his head and neck cancer diagnosis, requested assistance for accessible cancer care.
The CATCH (Intervention): Understanding the risk associated with missing the recommended treatment and potential noncompliance due to the unique barriers to care, Alessandra collaborated with the patient navigator and navigation leadership to access an advocacy-funded pilot lodging grant for the remainder of the patient’s treatment. Navigation leadership worked with financial assistance and local hotel partners to coordinate scheduling and invoicing.
Outcome: This navigator utilized creativity and her relationships with community and hospital leadership to obtain assistance for this patient to eliminate transportation, lodging, and financial barriers to treatment, all while avoiding any treatment delays or disruptions. The entire oncology team worked together to successfully reach their goal of patient-centered care.
The Importance of the CATCH
Navigators are just one crucial piece of an entire multidisciplinary team. The CATCH shows the significance of working together across disciplines to go above and beyond for patients. Oncology care is complex and not always straightforward, which is why critical thinking skills and trusting rapport with the entire oncology team is paramount.
Building relationships with the community and hospital leadership, as well as understanding your institution’s pathways, can assist navigators in guiding their patients through the cancer continuum, allowing timely access to care and access to optimal resources. The saying, “teamwork makes the dream work” fits perfectly in this CATCH, as this patient’s dream of completing treatment without interruptions became a reality.
