Patient Navigators

At Wheeling Hospital, which has the area’s only designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, the utmost attention is given to assisting cancer patients through their continuum of care. Two patient navigators are here to help patients through every step of their cancer care, eliminating much of the confusion and stress. Available to help all cancer patients at Wheeling Hospital is Melissa Mealy, an American Cancer Society (ACS) patient resource navigator. Mealy’s role is to listen, list and address the patient and caregivers’ non-clinical concrete needs, and identify and link them to available hospital, ACS and community resources. Some of the services she offers include:

• Providing information to patients and caregivers, including literature on diagnosis, treatment and ACS services.
• Assisting with practical problem solving related to needs such as housing, transportation, etc.
• Encouraging cancer survivors and their caregivers to become advocates in their care.
• Educating patients and caregivers about the availability of the ACS’s free clinical trials, matching service and treatment decision-making tools.
• Promoting early detection and diagnosis of cancer.
• Inviting cancer patients and caregivers to become part of the cancer survivor community through venues such as the ACS Cancer Survivors Network and the Relay for Life.

At the Comprehensive Breast Care Center, a highly personalized form of guidance is offered by Manager Debby Radosevich, who is certified as a breast patient navigator by the National Consortium of Breast Centers. The certification validates Radosevich’s knowledge and skills in steering a patient through their breast care/cancer care. Moving a patient through her care is a complex and highly individualized process. Having the assistance of a navigator trained to help a patient through the process greatly reduces the complexity and confusion. During the breast imaging navigation stages, the navigator guides the patient through the imaging process and ensures the patient receives timely exam results, is scheduled for appropriate follow-up care or scheduled for their next routine imaging exam. During breast cancer navigation, the navigator guides patients with a suspicious breast abnormality through and around barriers in complex cancer care systems to help ensure timely diagnosis and treatment.

Contact

For more information on the ACS Patient Resource Navigator program, call 304-243-3700. For more information on services offered at the Comprehensive Breast Care Center, call 304-243-5115.

Wheeling Hospital Cancer Care

The Schiffler Cancer Center staff, including radiation oncologist Dr. Jondavid Pollock, offers participation in at least 50 clinical trials, combining the most advanced technical cancer services with a compassionate and empathic treatment environment.