Florida Hospital DeLand Introduces Cancer Nurse Navigator (posted: 01/26/11)

Source: Florida Hospital Deland
 

New service helps patients navigate through the cancer journey

DELAND – Florida Hospital DeLand Cancer Institute has introduced a new way to help cancer patients navigate through what can be an overwhelming, frightening and difficult journey.

The hospital has hired Ann DeCarr, RN as a nurse navigator to serve as a single point of contact for cancer patients and their families and assist in all aspects of the cancer patient’s care experience.

DeCarr meets individually with patients and caregivers and offers education, referrals and support services. As a patient’s personal guide, she steers patients through the psychological, emotional and financial challenges associated with cancer.

With a mother who passed away from breast cancer in the 1960s, DeCarr has a close connection to the special needs of cancer patients and their families. That’s what led her to become an oncology nurse in 1999. Her experience with her patients had such an impact that she became an Oncology Certified Nurse in 2005.

“My job is to make the journey an easier one, helping patients with the right questions to ask and what to expect,” said DeCarr. “With my help, they are able to have a good pathway and a guide to assist them along the way.”

This new service comes in conjunction with Florida Hospital Flagler’s nurse navigation program and on the heels of Florida Hospital Fish Memorial and Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center’s programs, which started in the fall of 2010. Now that Florida Hospital DeLand has added this service, more patients have local access to guidance through the complexities of cancer treatment.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call (386) 943-7160.