The Clinical Advocate for Neuro Oncology coordinates care for Neuro Oncology patients. Responsibilities include but are not limited to: providing ongoing assessment of patient needs including educational, financial, psychosocial, nutritional, and clinical; connecting patients and families to available resources within the health system and in the community, assessing patients for eligibility for services, and facilitating access to care. Coordinates clinical care to ensure appropriate patient assessment and treatment.
A day in the life of a Clinical Advocate at Hackensack Meridian Health includes:
- Builds and maintains referral relationships with medical staff: establishes communication with physicians and their offices regarding the availability of the program. Meets with doctors and their office staff to outline programs and available resources. Establishes mechanisms for new patient referrals from various sources including hospital departments, the physician or their office.
- Develops knowledge base of available clinical trials for defined patient populations. Collaborates with research nurses to identify open clinical trials and become knowledgeable of eligibility requirements. Screens patients for clinical trial eligibility at initial assessment. Refers patients to research nurse for follow-up with a potential candidate for a trial.
- Coordinates disease specific education on prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment through the planning, implementation and evaluation of educational programs: education services continually meet the needs of the community. Provides appropriate curriculum for disease site educational programs.
- Coordinates Inpatient and outpatient care for patients: provides initial detailed patient/family needs assessment and periodic updates throughout the course of care. Develops disease site expertise. Provides patient and family education. Connects patients/families with available resources in the health system and community. Facilitates access to services. Tracks and documents the flow of patients through diagnostic and treatment services.
- Develops and participates in Performance Improvement activities and development of Guidelines in collaboration with Medical Directors and physician leaders.
- Participates in disease specific committees: represents patient navigation services at committee meetings. Provides detailed reports on patients served. Ensures all requirements of regulatory standards for patient care are met.
- Represents Neuro Oncology services to the community and participates in promotional activities. Takes initiative and seeks out opportunities that may prove to be in the program's best interest. Collaborates with the marketing department to provide for consumer brochures for the program. Provides community organizations with information about services offered to patients. Works with an outreach team to promote service and community awareness.
- Coordinates clinical care, in collaboration with the physician providers and APPs.
- The delivery of patient care is well within the acceptable standard: utilizes the principles of performance improvement to organize, implement, direct and evaluate the delivery of services.
- Other duties and/or projects as assigned.
- Adheres to HMH Organizational competencies and standards of behavior.