Oncology Navigation Team

The oncology navigation team at Methodist, consisting of oncology nurses and a psychosocial services specialist, provide education and resources to facilitate informed decision making and timely access to quality health and psychosocial care throughout all phases of the cancer journey – from diagnosis through survivorship. Our goal is to support patients and families throughout the cancer journey and remove barriers to the patient receiving care.

Responsibilities of the Oncology Nurse Navigators

The oncology nurse navigation team educates the patient and their families to promote quality of life while going through treatment. They collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and dieticians to meet the needs of the cancer patients and their families throughout the care process.

• Provide cancer patients with oversight across the care continuum from diagnosis through treatment and into survivorship.
• Provide patients and their caregivers with education on their diagnosis and what to expect with treatment: surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy.
• Follow-up by phone, and/or in person, with the patient going through active treatment.
• Help communicate any concerns to their oncology team.
• Ensure appropriate follow up appointments, tests, etc. have been scheduled as needed.
• Coordinate referrals.
• Coordinate survivorship care plan at completion of treatment.

Oncology Navigation Team Referrals

Physicians may write a referral for an oncology navigation team member to follow a patient. However, patients may also be referred by nurses, social workers, other staff, family, friends or even themselves.

Breast Cancer Navigator

Jenny Chasteen, RN, BSN, CN-BN

(309) 672-5526

Oncology Navigation Services

Lori Farris, MSN, APRN, FNP-C

(309) 672-4239

Responsibilities of the Oncology Psychosocial Services Specialist

Specializes in assisting the patient, family members, and/or caregivers manage distress when cancer diagnosis complicates demands of daily life and roles within the family system in the following ways:

• Coordinates patient screenings for distress and barriers to care.
• Coordinates referrals to and facilitates interventions with resources as relevant to patient and family concerns (ex. transportation, financial assistance, child care, food or housing assistance, work/school concerns).
• Provides emotional support and stabilization as well as psychoeducation focused on stress management through short-term free psychological counseling services for individuals, couples and families at no charge.
• Provides referrals to other psychosocial support such as support and networking groups, peer-to-peer support, or long-term psychological counseling and psychiatry.
• Coordinates Kids Konnected – a support program for children and adolescents (age 5-18) whose parent, caregiver, or close relative is experiencing or has experienced cancer.

Oncology Psychosocial Services

Greta Whittemore, MA, LPC

(309) 672-5785