Spectrum Health’s Betty Ford Breast Care Services Team provides patients with high-quality navigation services through its Partners Providing a Full Continuum of Breast Health Services Nurse Navigation Program. Through this program, we provide patients with support from Nurse Navigators at every step of their diagnostic, treatment, and survivorship journeys. Each year, our Nurse Navigators work with over 15,000 patients. National Breast Cancer Foundation funding is specifically used to provide salary support for our Pre-Diagnostic Nurse Navigators, who work with patients throughout the screening/diagnostic process after they receive an abnormal screening result. They provide critical education, emotional support, appointment coordination, patient advocacy, and referrals to specialists for further care and treatment. Our Pre-Diagnostic Nurse Navigators support over 700 low-income and uninsured/underinsured patients each year.
“The underserved patients we support are from a wide age range, diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, urban and rural areas – all walks of life. The one unfortunate thing they all have in common is finding themselves in financial situations where they are unable to afford basic preventative healthcare. I love to tell a patient that we are able to cover their yearly screening mammogram and diagnostic services, and that we will provide them with a trained staff member who will walk alongside them during the process. The patient’s relief is almost palpable. I think I speak for our team when I say we are humbled and honored to play a small part in helping these patients receive the quality care they might otherwise have to forego if assistance was not available. Thank you, National Breast Cancer Foundation, for your generous contributions.” — Debby Chatel, Administrative Assistant, Betty Ford Breast Care Services
Donations are always appreciated, but there are lots of great ways to get involved.
