PATIENT NAVIGATOR

To provide information, support, encouragement, and assistance in overcoming barriers to receiving cancer care, transplantation, or living donor donations. To serve as a guide to patients and their families throughout their journey. May be involved with surgery navigation

Duties and Responsibilities

• Helps patients move through the healthcare system, providing information about surgery, including the pre-operative, in-hospital, and post-operative options that will facilitate timely treatment/options and appropriate decisions
• Serves as an advocate for the patient; provides advice, support, and direction, as well as helps patients identify resources that may be helpful to their situation
• Understands and recognizes common problems associated with surgery, both before and after surgery
• Focuses on helping patients make wise use of their healthcare resources
• For cancer treatment, one may use a variety of tools to help monitor each patient's progress, checking for signs of distress, side effects of treatment, depression, and other common challenges associated with a cancer diagnosis
• When symptoms exist, the Navigator promptly connects the patient with the appropriate resources and/or notifies the patient's care team for additional follow-up
• For surgery, we may use a variety of tools to help patients understand the important steps that should occur during the surgery journey and continue the connection with the patient to ensure they are provided with the appropriate resources.
• The Navigator will also help educate patients on best practices in surgery, including the enhanced recovery program
• Understand the typical obstacles in navigating the healthcare system and work to help remove barriers to effective care by coordinating internal and external services
• Asks questions and encourages patients to remain on their medications, get proper nutrition, engage in regular exercise, and continue with age-appropriate health screenings
• Facilitates change by providing a supportive environment, information, or other resources
• Works with an individual to help them access appropriate medical follow-up, treatment, and care
• Perform other duties as assigned

Hourly Salary Range: $17.55-$28.50

Bachelor's degree in a related field and one (1) year of related experience required. OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Preferred Additional Qualifications:

• Ability to encourage and persuade people
• Conflict resolution skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Organizational skills
• Prioritization skills
• Written and verbal communication skills

UAB is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and family-friendly environment in which all faculty and staff can excel and achieve work/life balance irrespective of race, national origin, age, genetic or family medical history, gender, faith, gender identity and expression as well as sexual orientation. UAB also encourages applications from individuals with disabilities and veterans.