May be eligible for $3,000 sign on bonus
May be eligible for relocation assistance
May be eligible for tuition loan repayment

The incumbent in this position acts as an advocate for patients serving as the primary point of contact and is responsible for coordinating the care and services of the identified patient populations for an extended period of time across the continuum of care for outpatient services; promoting effective resource utilization; assuming a leadership role with the multidisciplinary team to achieve an optimal clinical outcome.

Operational aspects include but are not limited to schedule coordination, follow-up communication with patients, outside care facilities, and referring providers, documentation and record maintenance for necessary records for accreditation and continued care needs.

Supply an exceptional patient and family entry and journey through the healthcare system. Help providers by coordinating patient visits, provision of proper records as applicable, and aid in coordinating proper supplementary service visits as applicable. Navigation will ideally begin before the patient comes for their first visit, continue during the first phases of consultation and care plan generation, and often during a course of therapy. Navigation will often be a ‘go to’ when patients or family have question, concerns, or confusion. They will supply skills and knowledge to effectively arrange patient centered cancer care through leadership of the interdepartmental team.

The oncology nurse navigator will provide effective communication to patient and families regarding disease process, treatment plan review, next steps in care. ONN will translate medical terminology into information that patients can use to improve their understanding of their cancer journey. Ancillary services offered in the cancer center –Social work, palliative care team, financial counseling, dietician, support groups will be discussed and encouraged with the patient and family. Coordination of care provides timely access to cancer care by addressing patient barriers and providing interventions.

Essential Job Functions

• Supports and models behaviors consistent with the missionand philosophy of Billings Clinic and department/service.
• Facilitates the coordination of patient care services toassure excellence in patient care and patient flow; includes coordinating care,treatment and communication among the medical team
• Follows patient through the care continuum/experience,eliminating operational (such as scheduling, test results, etc.) barriers toservices.
• Works closely with other healthcare disciplines to ensuretimely appointments, results reporting, financial need referrals,communication, patient care and follow-up
• Coordination of care: The oncology nurse navigator willreceive referral for cancer patients from outside providers, departments in theBillings Clinic and faxed referrals.
• The nurse navigator will then start the process ofobtaining records if applicable. This includes but not limited to providernotes, labs, pathology report, imaging report and imaging.
• After patient records are obtained in a prompt matter; thenurse will start the process of scheduling the patient with proper provider andmultidisciplinary team in the clinic. The nurse will notify cancer researchteam of patient.
• The nurse navigator will contact the patient/caregiverwithin one business day of scheduling patient.
• The navigator will supply education on the rationale ofthe multidisciplinary team/appointments and need for further imaging ortesting. Location, date, and time will be provided to the patient.
• Appointment notification will be mailed to home address,along with navigator business card. The navigator will explain the role andsupply contact information to the patient/caregivers.
• The nurse navigators will attend patient first consult inmedical and radiation oncology. Navigation may be present in multidisciplinaryappointments inside the Billings Clinic.
• Nurse navigation schedule further appointments, imaging,lab draw, etc. as directed by providers.
• These appointments will be communicated to thepatient/caregiver's day of and or within one business day.
• Nurse navigation will notify/schedule patient withsupplementary appointments, such as symptom management team, oncology socialworkers, physical therapists, dietician, breast boutique, financial counselors,oral oncology pharmacist, site specific and/or general tumor board.
• When patient presents for the first consults the nursenavigator will provide patient/family with Billings Clinic Cancer Centerresources, contact numbers for staff, education resources on cancer, staging,treatment from reputable sources. (NCCN, ACOS, ACS)
• The nurse navigator will supply education to the patient.Navigation will assess patient education needs by assessing barriers to care(literacy, language, cultural influences, and comorbidities). Resources will beoffered such as web, printed materials, and verbal education.
• The nurse navigator will supply and reinforce education tothe patient, families, and caregivers about diagnosis, treatment, posttreatment care and survivorship. (Treatment summary when applicable.)
• The nurse navigator will schedule patient for their firsttreatment, they will provide calendars to the patient and review times, dates,and providers with them to expedite the plan of care and continuity of care.
• The nurse navigator will schedule patients for follow upin the cancer center when actively navigating patient.
• The nurse navigator will provide anticipatory guidance andmanage expectations to aid patient/caregivers/families in coping with cancerdiagnosis, potential or expected outcomes.
• The nurse navigator will support a smooth transition ofpatients from active/initial treatment into survivorship, chronic cancermanagement or end of life care.
• Facilitates the development, implementation and adherenceto clinical and evidenced based guidelines, as appropriate, to ensure optimalclinical outcomes
• Ensures follow-up on identified patient clinical andnon-clinical care, facilitating communication and compliance to care plans(i.e., medication reconciliation, follow-up on care concerns/criticalvalues/core measures, patient care conferences, etc.) Ensures follow up hasoccurred regarding patient clinical and non clinical care to include adherenceto plans of care, resource utilization, and general progress utilizing careconferences as necessary.
• Works in collaboration with the medical team to developand implement clinical guidelines. Facilitates the adherence of the guidelinesthrough regular evaluation and auditing of clinical practice.
• Ensures follow-up in the outpatient setting on identifiedpatient clinical and non-clinical care, facilitating communication andcompliance to care plans (i.e., medication reconciliation, follow-up on careconcerns/critical values/core measures, patient care conferences, etc.)
• Demonstrates expertise in educational and resourcingservices
• Participates in educational activities related topatient/community, clinical operation and process issues on an ongoing basis
• Collaborates with other health care providers indeveloping, implementing and evaluating educational materials for patients andtheir families
• Facilitates intra-departmental relationships in an effortto provide necessary resources to and for the patient.
• Interfaces with other members/disciplines within thehealthcare teams for appropriate referrals/services
• Aware of and assists with financial needs of the patients.
• Identify and access appropriate social services, includingresources to assist caregivers to support treatment
• Contributes to an environment of quality and processimprovement
• Ensures accurate and timely data collection and entry intopatient database as indicated by department guidelines
• Directs and coordinates identified quality assessment andimprovement activities to assure quality patient services are monthly providedthrough audits and reviews other identified evaluation tools
• Ensures patient care activities for the departmentservices are monitored monthly through audits and reviews
• Ensures and enhances facility, safety, and regulatoryoutcomes
• Complies with all applicable laws, regulations andaccrediting agencies
• Complies with all Billings Clinic policies
• Works in collaboration with Leadership team to ensuredepartmental goals and objectives are met.
• Contributes to community activities sponsored by theCancer Center
• Develops patient referral services byrelationship-building strategies with physicians not related to the department.
• Performs other duties as assigned or needed to meet theneeds of the department/organization.
• Works as an active team member and effective communicator
• Demonstrates effective internal and external communicationstrategies, written and verbal, to assure a collaborative environment
• Ensures appropriate and timely documentation in the EHR
• Demonstrates a productive work ethic
• Works consistently as an active team player, inter-andintra-departmentally
• Identifies needs and sets goals for own growth anddevelopment; meets all mandatory organizational and departmental requirements.
• Maintains competency in all organizational, departmentaland outside agency environmental, employee or patient safety standards relevantto job performance.
• Assists Mammography provider throughout imaging guidancebreast biopsy procedures.Remove this line.
• Identification and assistance for patients in potentialbenefit for genetic testing evaluation.
• Organization and record maintenance of appropriate recordneeds required for accreditation purposes.
• Performs other duties as assigned or needed to meet theneeds of the department/organization.
• Additional Duties for Breast Diagnostics
• Facilitates the coordination of patient care services toassure excellence in patient care and patient flow.
• Follows patient from abnormal mammogram through diagnosis.
• Provides seamless patient flow from abnormal mammogram todiagnosis and referral to breast Patient Care Navigator
• Facilitates breast biopsy scheduling
• Facilitates breast biopsy education
• Facilitates the development, implementation and adherenceto clinical and research guidelines, as appropriate, to ensure optimal clinicaloutcomes
• Ensures that each patient scheduled for a screeningmammogram has had a clinical breast exam within acceptable time frame.
• Demonstrates expertise in educational and resourcingservices
• Facilitates relationship between physicians, vendors,departments and the breast multidisciplinary program
• Interfaces with finance and breast imaging services tomeet the financial needs of the patients
• Additional Duties for Regional Navigator
• Collaborate with local individuals, agencies andorganizations to facilitate the increased availability of community-based careservices.
• Facilitates research participation opportunities.
• Facilitates increased utilization of telemedicine inconnecting rural patients and providers to Billings Clinic resources.
• Coordinate opportunities to increase prevention awarenessand offer early-detection screening programs in outreach areas.
• Develop and implement regional care protocols, resultingin reduced time to problem resolution and improved quality of care.
• Interfaces with local and outreach providers in addressingcare navigation concerns.
• Identifies community support services in underserved andfrontier areas and facilitates utilization of these services.
• Advocates for the individual and collective needs ofpatients in rural and frontier areas.
• Facilitates relationship-building between physicians,agencies, and organizations.
• Interfaces with physicians, agencies, and organizations tomeet the medical, social, and financial needs of patients.