"Supportive Oncology Patient Navigator"

Established in January 2023, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Supportive Oncology Access & Resilience (SOAR) program aims to place Dana-Farber at the forefront of efforts to reduce disparities in cancer outcomes for historically marginalized groups locally by enhancing access to mental health and palliative care services.

Supportive Oncology Patient Navigators are part of the Supportive Oncology Department at Dana-Farber. They will work with oncology patients to educate and assist in serious illness care. They will assess for unmet psychosocial and palliative care needs of these patients. The Supportive Oncology Patient Navigator will also address barriers to care and treatment engagement, support communication between healthcare providers and patients, and help navigate health care system complexities and logistics. They will develop programming to enhance access and engagement to Supportive Oncology services and other supportive care resources.

The Supportive Oncology Patient Navigator will report to the Director of Supportive Oncology Access & Resilience program and work closely with social workers and palliative care providers at Dana-Farber.

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS, and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Clinical Practice:
• Provide educational support to Dana-Farber Supportive Oncology patients through conducting outreach calls to patients prior to their first palliative care and/or social work appointment.
• Using serious illness care frameworks, meet with Dana-Farber Medical Oncology patients to assess for unmet supportive oncology needs and provide education about these services.
• Assess for unmet health related social needs and its impacts on patients’ engagement in serious illness care.
• Facilitate goals-of-care education (e.g. Health care proxy completion) using serious illness care frameworks.
• Serve as a clinical liaison to palliative care/social work for complex cases.
• Other patient education duties as assigned.

Community Education:
• Build relationships with community-based social service organizations.
• Develop patient and clinician education resources.
• Participate in training and support to community as requested

Quality Improvement:
• Contributes to the development of new ideas that impact the program.
• Participates in Supportive Oncology quality improvement initiatives
• Performs other duties as assigned or as necessary

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Commitment to cultural humility and cultural safety.
• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work with adults of varying ages, learning styles, and backgrounds.
• Excellent written, verbal communication, and interpersonal skills with understanding of importance of confidentiality and sensitivity to diverse groups.
• Strong organization skills and ability to prioritize and work independently.
• Attention to detail and critical thinking abilities.
• Capacity to develop strategies to resolve complex patient issues and follow through.
• Knowledge of local health care systems and community resources.

Minimum Job Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree required. Area of study preferred: Social Work.

3 years of professional experience in health care or community outreach organizations.

Experience working in hospital electronic medical record systems Bilingual/multilingual (Spanish, Haitian Creole, Arabic) Preferred.

License/Certification/Registration Preferred

Obtain Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators’ Oncology Patient Navigator Certification.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Patient Contact: Yes, Dana Farber Oncology Patients.

Special Working Conditions: Some events may require attendance outside of regular business hours (e.g. Evenings and weekends).

Pay Transparency Statement

The hiring range is based on market pay structures, with individual salaries determined by factors such as business needs, market conditions, internal equity, and based on the candidate’s relevant experience, skills and qualifications.

For union positions, the pay range is determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

$61,600.00 - $68,400.00