Newswise — Jimmie Johnson remembers how devastated she was six years ago when she heard the words, ‘You have breast cancer.’ If facing the diagnosis wasn’t difficult enough, she found herself confused by conflicting treatment advice.
The Nebraska Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® has awarded grants to the University of Nebraska Medical Center that will help cut through the confusion. The grant supports the training of navigators to accompany women to appointments to help them better understand their diagnosis and treatment recommendations. The navigators also advise them on the best approaches needed to get breast care that supports best practice guidelines set forth nationally.
To date, $121,000 has been awarded to the Community Breast Health Navigator and Cancer Support Program, which is designed to provide support for women being evaluated for, or undergoing diagnosis and treatment for, breast cancer.
The recent grant makes it possible to train about 15 more navigators, which will bring the total to near 30.
The program is the only one of its kind in the nation, said Edibaldo Silva, M.D., Ph.D., UNMC surgical oncologist and director of the navigator program.
“We’ve had an overwhelming response from women in the community who stepped forward to be volunteer advocates,” Dr. Silva said. “Now we want to train more. The program was set up to address disparities in communities such as the African-American and Hispanic community. It soon became clear that the issue of variation from best practice patterns is prevalent in all women.”
Co-directors of the grant, Phyllis Nsiah-Kumi, M.D., and Jackie Hill, a nurse practitioner and breast cancer survivor, said the grant also helps improve the health literacy of patients -- the ability to understand health-related information and make informed decisions.
Navigators complete a rigorous training course that focuses on breast cancer care guidelines supported by the latest medical research and recommended by national experts, as well as effective communication with patients and health providers.
For more information, go to www.nebraskabreasthealthnavigator.org or call 402-559-8883 or e-mail [email protected].
One-minute videos about the program are available on You Tube at the below links.
Dr. Silva talks about the program and why it’s important: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLPpTMMdatI&hd=1Dr. Nsiah-Kumi talks about the program in relation to improving patients’ health literacy: http://youtu.be/URzJkJJTNVEJackie Hill talks about the program’s benefit to women: http://youtu.be/aQwmiEva6u8Jimmi Johnson talks about why she wanted to be a breast cancer navigator: http://youtu.be/02q3D1iytmM
Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest breast cancer organization, and the Nebraska Affiliate is one of 125 Affiliates on the front lines dedicated to ending breast cancer in their communities. Komen Affiliates fund innovative programs that help women and men overcome the cultural, social, educational and financial barriers to breast cancer screening and treatment. Up to 75 percent of net proceeds generated by the Affiliate stays in the state of Nebraska. The remaining 25 percent funds national breast cancer research. For more information, call 402-502-2979 or visit www.komennebraska.org.
Through world-class research and patient care, UNMC generates breakthroughs that make life better for people throughout Nebraska and beyond. Its education programs train more health professionals than any other institution in the state. Learn more at unmc.edu.
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