New job could help ease pain of cancer diagnosis

New job could help ease pain of cancer diagnosis

By KEN SUGIURA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 12/25/07

In her job at the Atlanta Medical Center, Terri Lewinson answers cancer patients' questions and tries to solve their problems. Often, they have just learned of their diagnosis.

"I don't often get patients who walk in crying," she said. "But I often get patients who walk in anxious and uncertain. But we're here for those who cry, too. We just tell them to come on in."

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Soon, with the help of the American Cancer Society, Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville will have a staff member like Lewinson, a patient resource navigator. The hospital said it will post the job opening in January.

Gwinnett's patient resource navigator will be "contacting patients, following up with them, making sure they have the resources they need," said Cindy Snyder, Gwinnett Medical Center's director of breast health services. "I am very excited about it."

The position will be funded by the hospital and the cancer society, which is still raising its $150,000 share for the position's first three years.

The society has established similar jobs at five hospitals in the state, including the Atlanta Medical Center and Grady Memorial Hospital, and dozens more across the country. Northside Hospital also is online to hire a patient resource navigator.

The society has sponsored and pushed for the positions because it believes many cancer patients aren't aware of the resources available to them, whether it's information about their disease or help in getting access to treatment.

By putting an ACS staff member on site where people are diagnosed with cancer, the society can reach out to patients rather than hope that they contact them. In 2006, more than 1,200 people were diagnosed with cancer at Gwinnett Medical Center, said Snyder.

The society particularly hopes to reach people who would most benefit from its services, such as patients with minimal or no health insurance.

"A lot of it is making people aware of the resources already available and doing some troubleshooting when there are situations that can be pretty easily resolved," said Lewinson, the navigator at Atlanta Medical Center.

Lewinson gave the example of one patient who simply needed a way to get to the hospital for treatment. Lewinson directed her to a program that provided her with gas money.

"For the most part, we really get an opportunity to help patients and be there for them when other people are not there," said Lewinson. "It's quite rewarding."