"We're an organizing force at a very, very disruptive time in a patient's life," says Nicole Messier, RN, who with colleagues Maggie MacLeay, RN, Sue Bouffard, RN, Kerry Stanley, MSW, and Brent Devenney, RN, OCN, form the Vermont Cancer Center's patient navigator team at Fletcher Allen Health Care. Together, they are helping hundreds of cancer patients each year find their way along the complex path to diagnosis and treatment.

Broadly put, navigators are trained professionals who help patients through the health care system. They act as clinicians, care coordinators, educators, and counselors for patients and their families. They often begin this process by helping the referring provider — frequently a primary care physician who suspects his or her patient may have a malignancy.

The navigators each handle certain kinds of cancer and, depending on the preliminary diagnosis, they offer help to both the referring physician and the patient to start navigating the cancer diagnosis and treatment process. They collaborate with all members of the medical team, scheduling visits, tests, explaining treatment options, and helping to arrange transportation.

"Through the whole process, we're the one person who's the continuing presence for the patient," says Messier. "So that, hopefully, they just won't have to worry as much, and can focus on getting better."

This special service is particularly helpful to patients who live a distance from Burlington, says Bouffard. "They travel great distances to come here for diagnosis and treatment. We can help coordinate everything to make their schedule as smooth as possible, and ease the burden on them and their family members."