The Dynamic Role of a Peer Navigator across the Cancer Care Continuum was presented at the 7th annual Patient Navigation/Community Health Worker Conference on May 12, 2016. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health conference offered the opportunity to highlight Peer Navigation, a fundamental aspect of the Reid R. Sacco Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Program at Tufts Medical Center’s model of care. Navigators, who are also AYAs, are available to assist their age-related peers with transitional life-stage needs such as help writing a resume, connect AYAs to resources within and outside of the medical center, and/or assist with coordinating appointment scheduling.
Presented by Program Coordinator, Tully Saunders, Education and Outreach Coordinator Rachel Murphy-Banks and Peer Navigator Ming Lin the poster showed how navigators have the flexibility to assist an AYA through various phases of the cancer care experience including transitioning from active treatment to survivorship care, through the years of long-term follow-up survivorship care as well as serving as a bridge to survivorship care and remaining a familiar face in the health care team in the unfortunate event of a recurrence or new diagnosis.
