Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

Patient Navigation

Who We Are

Patient Navigators play an integral role by bridging the gap between our patients and the healthcare system.

The Patient Navigation model was first introduced to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in 2011 under a Department of Health funded grant to improve outcomes in colon cancer screening rates. The success of this program led to the establishment of the Patient Navigation Department two years later; assisting four primary care sites with 18 Navigators.

Our department continues to grow to meet the needs of our community. Today, we have over 100 navigators who support our entire inpatient and outpatient network, in several specialty services including colonoscopy, oncology, orthopedics, and women’s health.

Patient navigators are hired from the community to serve a highly diverse population and therefore speak various languages such as: Spanish, Haitian Creole, Bangla, Hindi, Urdu, Nepalese, French. Additionally, they are trained to become Qualified Medical Interpreters serving as a dual role.

Among other responsibilities, patient navigators schedule primary care and specialty appointments, connect patients to community resources, and assist with one-on-one patient education.

Our Mission

The Patient Navigation Department aims to provide patient-centered care that navigates individuals through the complexities of the healthcare system while improving health outcomes. Patient navigators provide continually exceptional customer service to our patients and support the clinical team. Through initiatives such as care coordination, patient education, advocacy, and addressing healthcare barriers related to language and culture, we empower our diverse community to make informed decisions and actively participate in their healthcare journey.

Divisions

The Patient Navigation Department helps patients access quality and equitable healthcare. We offer personalized support throughout the entire care and treatment process. Our patient navigators assist patients in managing their care in various areas, including:

Outpatient Primary Care
Patient navigators play an integral role by bridging the gap between our patients and the healthcare system. Among other responsibilities, Patient Navigators schedule primary care and specialty appointments, connect patients to community resources, and assist with one-on-one patient education. They also help patients enroll and navigate our electronic health portal, MediSys Connect, offering support with activation, password recovery, and proxy access. Patient Navigators are also trained by the American Lung Association and Department of Health to become Smoking Cessation Facilitators and Diabetes Prevention Lifestyle Coaches.
Inpatient Care
The Patient Navigation In-Patient team offers a concierge service by assisting patients that have been admitted to our hospital. They conduct daily check-ins with patients to provide non-clinical bedside assistance to ensure their needs are being met. They facilitate communication between the patients, family members, clinical team, and community resources when appropriate. Patient Navigators also serve as Qualified Medical Interpreters to assist with language and cultural barriers. The Navigators help patients enroll and navigate our electronic health portal, MediSys Connect, offering support with activation, password recovery, and proxy access. Navigators aid with the patients’ discharge process by scheduling primary care and specialty appointments and conducting post-discharge follow-up calls during which the patient can ask questions about their care plan.
Oncology
Navigators in our oncology division play a key role in guiding patients through every step of their cancer journey. They coordinate all aspects of care, including scheduling consultations, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, imaging tests, surgery, and follow-up appointments both within the network and external providers. Acting as the main point of contact, they provide education, support, and resources to help patients understand their diagnosis and treatment plan. They also help by connecting our patients to essential services such as financial counseling, social work, genetic testing, clinical trials, and palliative care to ensure compassionate experience throughout the continuum of oncology care.
Women’s Health
In the Women’s Health Center, Patient Navigators play a vital role in supporting prenatal and postpartum care. They provide one-on-one education to ensure patients understand their treatment plans and maintain continuity of care. Navigators assist with the Diabetes Centering Program by supporting workshop facilitators and providing interpretation services. They also help patients enroll and navigate MediSys Connect, our electronic health portal, offering support with activation, password recovery, and proxy access. Additionally, Navigators connect patients to the Baby Live portal, offering further postpartum resources and support.
Colonoscopy Program
Patient navigators working in our colonoscopy program help guide patients through every step of the colorectal cancer screening process to ensure they make appropriate preparations for their procedure. Led by a dedicated colonoscopy team and in collaboration with clinical staff, they provide educational resources, facilitate communication between the patients and their providers, and connect our patients with outside healthcare facilities when appropriate.
Orthopedics
Patient navigators assigned to the orthopedics division focus on guiding patients through their orthopedic outpatient care and surgeriy. This includes coordinating pre and post-surgical requirements such as primary care and specialty appointments, pre-admission testing, pre-operative evaluations, surgery date, and post-surgery follow-up care for patients receiving treatment in our outpatient clinic and our emergency department. Additionally, they facilitate communication between the patients and their providers and connect the patients with outside healthcare facilities when appropriate.

Locations

Patient Education

In addition to providing supportive care to all our patients, the Patient Navigation Department is committed to improving the health of our community through education. These programs are designed to address important issues that affect the overall health and wellness of those we serve. This includes.

Smoking Cessation

Interested participants can call in or be referred by their primary and specialty providers. Participants are informed about the program details, including frequency and duration of sessions, as well as what is included in the curriculum. Depending on their preferences and availability they can choose between NYS Smokers’ Quit Line NY-Quits one-on-one telephone counseling or The Freedom from Smoking program group workshops. Both programs have comprehensive curriculums that include identifying triggers, creating a quit plan, lifestyle changes for quitting, and staying a quitter.

National Diabetes Prevention Program

Interested participants who have not been diagnosed with diabetes, are referred by their primary and specialty providers as well as external referrals from community providers. This program was developed by the Center for Disease Control to prevent or delay diabetes in participants that meet certain risk criteria CDC Risk Criteria . The program is a year-long lifestyle change program.

Our Community

Patient navigators at Jamaica Hospital are invested in the community and they display this commitment by reaching out to share valuable information on beneficial services and programs. Some of they ways they do this include.

 

Attending Community Events

Throughout the year, our education division participates in seasonal and on-going community events. We engage patients at our hospital-based farmstand, where we provide educational material and resources, and distribute “HealthBucks” (provided by the Department of Health). We also participate in Back-to-School events, asthma education days, flu shot clinics, as well as attend other community and church events church events.

Patient Outreach

Patient navigators participate in various hospital initiatives to help patients maintain their health through medication adherence; liaising patients with pharmacies and their providers to address clarification of instructions, side effects, and co-payments; assisting patients in updating their primary care physicians for continuity of care and stronger patient engagement; identifying and scheduling services/screenings that are medically recommended.

Our Team

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To learn more about our Patient Navigation Department or joining the team, please email [email protected] or call, (718) 206-8486.