What is a Patient Navigator?
The Nova Scotia Breast Screening Program offers patient support through the role of a Patient Navigator. A Patient Navigator is a support for patients and physicians, from an abnormal mammogram through to core biopsy. She is available to help answer any questions you may have and help guide you through the health care system.
Being called back for additional imaging can be a time of increased anxiety for patients. It may also raise questions about what to expect about upcoming procedures and wait times. Your NSBSP Patient Navigator will be able to answer these questions.
Although there is a lot of information available on the internet about different imaging procedures it is important to have a single point of contact that you can trust. The NSBSP Patient Navigator will be your contact person and is a source of reliable information. She will answer your questions ensuring that you have the most accurate information available.
The Nova Scotia Breast Screening Provincial Patient Navigator is Sarah McCarthy. She can be reached at 902-471-1411 or via email.
The Pink Rose Kit
The Pink Rose was developed to provide patients newly diagnosed with breast cancer, timely and comprehensive information about next steps and what to expect.
In partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society, the Pink Rose kit
is provided by the Nova Scotia Breast Screening Program to anyone diagnosed with breast cancer. The resource material provides information on the various stages through the health care system from the time a patient is diagnosed through to treatment.
Pink Rose kits are provided to all Breast Surgeons in Nova Scotia but can also be requested from the Patient Navigator, contact information provided above.
The book included in Pink Rose kits currently is developed by Canadian Cancer Society can be viewed digitally here: Understanding Treatment for Breast Cancer
An additional resource from the Canadian Breast Cancer Network you may find helpful is: Breast Cancer and You