Cancer Care Coordinator - Surgical Oncology

Advocate Health and Hospitals Corporation•Port Washington, OK

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Cancer Care Coordinator - Surgical Oncology role is a full-time position within the AMG ASLMC Surgical - Hematology/Oncology department. This role focuses on providing continuity of care for patients undergoing cancer treatment, ensuring smooth transitions between care settings, and acting as a navigator through their diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. The coordinator personalizes the approach to cancer patients to maximize service management, conducts nursing assessments with a focus on disease site, and integrates with other departments to develop a comprehensive plan of care. They provide evidence-based practice, guide patients through the diagnostic phase, track testing, and communicate with various healthcare providers and community agencies. The role also involves referring patients to appropriate resources, advocating for patients, identifying those with compromised coping skills or lack of social support, and facilitating support groups. Additionally, the coordinator educates staff, assists with interviewing and training, counsels patients and families on prevention and early detection, evaluates and designs patient education materials, and promotes awareness of specific cancer programs through community outreach and presentations. They partner with leadership to develop program vision and goals, participate in quality programs, and utilize data to implement best practices and analyze variances in treatment guidelines to improve quality, efficiency, and patient care.

Requirements

Registered Nurse license issued by the state in which the team member practices
Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) needs to be obtained within 6 months unless department leader has determined it is not required.
Associate's Degree in Nursing.
Typically requires 5 years of experience in clinical nursing.
Working knowledge of the components of quality and acute patient care needs specifically related to the area/function in which care management will be performed.
Excellent analytical and interpersonal communication skills necessary to negotiate with families, patient, physicians and third party payers for optimum plan.
Demonstrated ability to work well with physicians and other professionals in a direct and positive manner.
Demonstrated ability to operate all equipment necessary to perform the job, i.e., FAX, computer, copier, telephone system.
Manual dexterity required for operation computer and calculator.
Visual acuity required to facilitate review of written documents/computer screens, medical records, and to record information accurately.
Clear oral communications and hearing acuity required for receiving instructions and converse on standard telephone.
Functional speech and hearing to allow for effective communication of instructions and conversation over the telephone.

Responsibilities

Provides for continuity of care by ensuring smooth transitions between care settings according to critical pathways (algorithms).
Develops a relationship with patient and their primary care physician to facilitate and/or navigate through a cancer diagnosis, subsequent treatment and follow-up to reflect continuity of care.
Personalizes the approach to patients with cancer to maximize service management.
Completes a nursing assessment with a focus on disease site which has program accountability and identifies the patient's individualized needs.
Integrates with other departments and disciplines to develop plan of care.
Provides evidence-based practice in the role as cancer care coordinator.
Guides patients with suspected cancer through the diagnostic phase.
Tracks the testing and diagnostic reports through the system to ensure timeliness.
Provides biopsy procedure follow-up phone calls as needed.
Communicates necessary information and collaborates with physicians/office staffs, hospital departments/staff, health care providers, other disciplines and community agencies regarding the patient diagnosed with cancer.
Refers patients to appropriate resources (i.e., Financial Counseling, cancer counseling center services, clinical trials nurse for research programs).
Acts as advocate for patients with cancer.
Maintains contact with patients requiring ongoing support as necessary.
Identifies patients with compromised coping skills or lack of social support.
Facilitates support group for patient with cancer and family members/significant others.
Collaborates with other caregivers to develop optimal systems, which achieve the most effective patient/family outcomes.
Provides in-services and education offerings to staff.
Assists leadership in the interview process and with orientation and training of staff, student nurses, etc.
Counsels and educates patients and their family members on issues of prevention and the early detection of other cancers in which they might be of risk.
Evaluates and selects or designs patient education materials on specific disease site programs.
Actively seeks opportunities to promote awareness of specific cancer disease site program.
Provides community education/outreach, e.g., health fairs, phone banks, Cancer Awareness month.
Provides workshops, seminars and presentations to audiences in the professional and lay community.
Partners with leadership staff in cancer services to develop a vision for the care of patients in the specific disease site program.
Participates in the development of the annual goals and objectives for the program services and in the development, implementation and maintenance of Quality programs that include evaluation of costs, patient care, and customer satisfaction.
Utilizes data to implement "best practices".
Analyzes variances in standard treatment guidelines (NCCN guidelines algorithms) for initiatives with cancer to improve quality and efficiency, control costs, and provide systematic approach to the patient's total care.
Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served.
Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs, and to provide the care needed as described in the department's policies and procedures.

Benefits

Comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs
Competitive compensation
Generous retirement offerings
Programs that invest in your career development
Paid Time Off programs
Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave
Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
Educational Assistance Program