How our Breast Health Navigators can help
A breast cancer diagnosis can be scary. At Asante, you have a friend to walk alongside you through the journey. The breast health navigator is a health professional who provides knowledge, resources and compassion for breast cancer patients.
Understanding a diagnosis
Knowledge helps patients become empowered to make the best decisions possible for their health. Many patients are too overwhelmed by their diagnosis to clearly understand all the medical jargon. The breast health coordinator plays a support role, patiently answering questions and explaining medical procedures and treatment options. The navigator does not make medical recommendations because those kinds of decisions are best made by patients, their families, and their healthcare providers.
Communicating with healthcare providers and family members
Sometimes a patient's emotions affect her ability to communicate clearly with doctors and family members. The breast health navigator helps patients get all the information they need to make rational, informed decisions, and facilitates communication with the patient's care circle. The coordinator will articulate treatment options, monitor progress, and report findings to the patient and family, if desired.
Finding support
The breast health navigator is more than an educator and a communicator; they are a compassionate supporter. Cancer can take a toll on patients' emotional well-being because they feel they have lost control of their lives and are frustrated by having to make drastic lifestyle changes. They may be resistant to chemotherapy or radiation treatments and feel insecure or ashamed if they lose their hair or a breast. They may worry about leaving loved ones behind. The breast health navigator is specially trained to work with all of these emotions and issues, and strives to make the patient feel as much at ease as possible.
