1. High Plains Division 2009 Leadership Summit
October 9, 2009

2. High Plains National Corporate Team Program Workgroup Chair
Mike Kaitcer
High Plains National Corporate Team Program Workgroup Chair

3. Relay Rugby Items
Fundraising Club Lapel Pin

4. Relay Rugby Items
Fundraising Club Lapel Pin
2. Driver’s License

5. Relay Rugby Items Fundraising Club Lapel Pin 2. Driver’s License
3. Black and White Relay For Life Logo

6. Relay Rugby Items Fundraising Club Lapel Pin 2. Driver’s License
3. Black and White Relay For Life Logo

7. Relay Rugby Items Fundraising Club Lapel Pin 2. Driver’s License
3. Black and White Relay For Life Logo
4. Someone wearing their shirt backwards

8. Relay Rugby Items Fundraising Club Lapel Pin 2. Driver’s License
3. Black and White Relay For Life Logo
4. Someone wearing their shirt backwards
5. Someone wearing only one sock

9. Jan Winter Patient Navigator
Austin, Texas

10. HIGH PLAINS/ HAWAII PACIFIC Patient Service Center

11. Approximately 485 people per day
An estimated average of 177,000 residents of our Division are diagnosed with cancer every year
Approximately 485 people per day
11.5% of all newly diagnosed patients in the U.S. are residents of our Division
States within our Division are: Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Hawaii
11.5% of all newly diagnosed patients in the US

12. The National Cancer Information Center / High Plains Patient Service Center
Our National Home Office provides space for the PSC within the National Cancer Information Center. Here is a photo of the facility. NCIC, Quitline and the PSC occupy over 70,000 sq feet. Describe PSC
Also allows us to have easy access to NCIC resources like Cancer Information Specialists, Health Insurance Information Team, Clinical Trials Team and oncology nurses.

13. PSC Focus Areas Patient navigation
Patient service call handling & program scheduling
Documentation of patients served and services delivered
Telephone-based Patient Navigation services
Patient service call handling & program scheduling (for things like Road to Recovery, ACS lodging programs, etc.)
Documentation of patients served and services delivered – PSC staff enter documentation real-time. This documentation allows our division to track services provided, patient demographics and also assists in strategic planning—we are able to identify the areas or populations where we have gaps in service.

14. Patient Navigators 27 patient navigators (7 bilingual Spanish)
Backgrounds in social work, counseling, etc; some have experience as Cancer Information Specialists at the NCIC
Available - business hours, Monday-Friday
We also have access to a Language Line service, which is a translation service we can use when working with patients who speak a language other than English or Spanish.
Although we are not open 24 hours, patients calling after hours are referred to the NCIC and they can contact our PSC manager on duty phone—that is carried by a member of the PSC 24 hours a day so that we can always handle urgent issues after hours.

15. How do patients access our services?
National Cancer Information Center
Referrals from Healthcare systems
Local ACS staff/volunteers
Patients calling directly

16. Navigation Goals Timely initiation of treatment
Increasing treatment completion
Enhancing patients’ (and caregivers’) quality of life
This is a good general description of patient navigation:
Patient navigators guide cancer patients and caregivers through their cancer journey by improving access to care and quality of life. Navigation helps patients and families overcome barriers to care by facilitating interactions with complex healthcare systems. In addition, navigators provide information, advocate on behalf of patients, link patients to American Cancer Society programs and services, connect patients to known community resources and identify new resources to meet specific individual needs.

17. Navigation – helping patients achieve outcomes
Closing or reducing this gap
Resources available to the patient
Resources patient will need
Also note here that navigators will typically do a needs assessment at the beginning of their relationship with the patient.
Also important to note that we try to have patients work with the same navigator over time. That allows the patient to become comfortable with us and allows the navigator to gain a fuller sense of the patient’s needs over time. 17

18. Resources to close the gap…..
Transportation
Lodging
Emotional support services
Wigs, Prostheses
Information

19. How does it work? Up to date and complete community resource database
Discovery of new resources via internet
Collaboration with healthcare systems and other local organizations
Support from American Cancer Society staff and volunteers in local area
Community resource database – currently there are over 5,000 resources listed for High Plains Division patients—these can include small community resources that serve just a few counties to large national organizations
New Resources via internet – Patient navigators can do research on the web to find new resources. We are careful to confirm legitimacy before providing resources to patients.
Collaboration—Navigators work closely with…..
Support from ACS staff and volunteers in local area – the PSC also works closely with our staff partners and key volunteers in the field. These staff partners and volunteers often have relationships with individuals or organizations in their community that we may be able to call on when assisting patients. Local staff are also responsible for developing additional services.

20. Which patients need our navigation services?
Patients with barriers to care
Patients with no family/friend support
Elderly patients who are easily confused
Patients with literacy or language challenges
Patients dealing with treatment-related side effects who are too sick, tired, or overwhelmed
Many patients referred to the PSC have complex financial needs or access to care issues. Currently, about ¾ of the patients served at the PSC are “newly diagnosed”, which means within 1 year of diagnosis. And about a quarter of those newly diagnosed patients are either uninsured or on Medicaid.
Many of our patients are able to navigate on their own or have a caregiver who can assist. Our role then is to share resource info and just encourage them to call us back if the resources don’t work out.
A certain percentage of patients, though, do need more intensive navigation services….
Patients with barriers to care – lack of insurance, lack of treatment facilities, lack of transportation/lodging

21. What can navigators do? Connect patients to community resources
Arrange transportation and lodging
Make phone calls on behalf of the patient
Arrange conference calls with the patient and other agencies
Help patients fill out applications over the phone
Follow up with patients to ensure needs are met

22. In the last year, the Patient Service Center served over 19,000 patients.

23. Here’s the story of one of those patients……

24. Questions?

25. Housekeeping - Report to your next excursion by 1:30 p.m.
- Snack break after excursion #2
- Excursion #3 will begin at 3:00 p.m.
- Relay Store will be open from 4:00-6:00 p.m.
- Reception at 5:00 p.m.
- Tonight’s attire - Semi-Formal wear