Peggy Neville is not only a navigator, but an interpreter as well.

In her role as a Hill Breast Center breast health navigator, Neville helps breast cancer patients make sense of the treatment procedures.

"Going through the medical process is like being in a different country with a different language being spoken; we act as interpreters," she said. "Because breast cancer treatment is multi-disciplinary with myriad doctors, that is why we exist.

"When a patient hears that diagnosis for the first time, she stops hearing everything else. And the system can be confusing. We're there to explain the terms and the treatments, and to guide patients step-by-step through the healing process - for information and for guidance."

The breast health navigators or coordinators, as they also are called, receive training designed specifically for their positions. Most are registered nurses - at Baptist Health's Hill Breast Center, all are RNs. They undergo training, meet requirements for hours of care, take continuing education classes specific to breast cancer, and pass a certification test.

According to Neville, the breast health navigators usually accompany patients to their first doctors' appointments and to most appointments after that.

"[Patients] get a lot of information thrown at them at that first visit," she said. "We help to arrange the following appointments at times that work for the patients; we explain things, expedite the process and hold hands, too. Many patients have good support systems, but some need a little more help. Whichever it is, we're there to provide what they need."

Neville said that, although these may seem like small things, they can be important to the patient.

"I had a patient whose only daughter lived in Hawaii, so I arranged her appointments for a time when her daughter could be there electronically, even though she lived thousands of miles away," she said. "Whatever the patient's concerns, I'm available to her."

The navigators are there to help the family just as much as the patient, Neville said.

"Women are usually the ones that keep a family going, so while they're in treatment and taking it like a champ, the family may need help understanding what is going on or what they can do to help," she said. "They can feel lost and confused, too, so I'm there for them as well. They can always reach me by phone, with the patient's permission, of course."

At the Hill Center, a breast conference is held every Tuesday and each newly diagnosed patient's case is presented to a group that includes a radiologist, oncologist, pathologist, surgeon, genetic counselor, psychologist and the navigator.

"These conferences are maybe the most important thing we can do for our patients," Neville said. "It puts everyone on the same page with a united care plan. The navigator then takes all aspects of the plan and brings them together to ensure the patient's continuity of care."

Barbara Gavan: (904) 359-4536