Physicians Medical Center proudly announces the addition of Oncology Patient Navigation services to its arsenal in its effort to fight cancer. Carmelite Leonard, a Registered Nurse and a life-long native of Terrebonne Parish has joined the hospital staff at its Oncology Patient Navigator. Carmelite is a certified oncology nurse and has received Certification as a Certified Breast Patient Navigator. She has more than 13 years of experience in the field of oncology nursing.
"The role that a nurse navigator plays in the practice of oncology is a vital one” said Connie Martin, Administrator at Physicians Medical Center. "Nurse's have an in-depth knowledge of medicine. We felt that employing a registered nurse in the role of navigator was logical. Part of the role of our navigator is to guide our patients through the continuum of treatment, ensuring that all available resources within the medical center are at their disposal. From biopsy to surgery, to chemotherapy or radiation therapy, Carmelite maintains constant communication with both, her patients and their physicians. She is available to assist with the making of appointments, scheduling procedures, acting as a liaison with the American Cancer Society or simply being available to listen to patients concerns.
Dr. Koti Sangisetty, MD, FACS, who is also Medical Director at the hospital, commented that "In today's healthcare environment, the principal obstacle to treatment is the lack of continuity of care. Once diagnosed, our patients want but one thing; to rid the cancer from within them. Unfortunately, the continuum of care for cancer patients can be vicious and time consuming. More times than not, the patient becomes confused, disheartened and is desperately seeking resolution.”
Dr. Fritz Rau, MD, FACS, who is also a Board-Certified breast surgeon stated that "When we meet with our newly-diagnosed patients, Carmelite is a part of that meeting. She understands the terminology. She is able to communicate with our patients after they've had time to digest the information. They absolutely love having her as a resource” said Dr. Rau.
"This is why our Nurse Navigation program is so vital to our cancer patients” said Connie Martin. "At Physicians Medical Center, we invested in state of the art computer software that enables us to track every aspect of our patient's treatment. From biopsy to treatment and through recovery, a complete record of each step of the healing process is recorded; every appointment, procedure and treatment. While this may not seem significant to the lay person, this ensures continuity of care. Continuity of care ensures the quickest possible treatment which aids in recovery. It's what our patients have become accustomed to. It's what they deserve.”
For more information on the Breast Patient Navigator Program at Physicians Medical Center, call our Nurse Navigator directly at 985-858-3333.
