A Stokes County man has left a $3 million endowment for breast cancer treatment in the Triad. According to the National Library of Medicine, in the U.S., one in eight women will face breast cancer. And every year in the Triad, Novant Health cares for nearly 800 newly diagnosed patients.
The gift will allow the hospital to invest in treatment research and add a fourth full-time breast cancer nurse navigator to its current team. Cancer support services and genetic counseling manager Kate Hughes says navigators play a critical role.
"They're involved with the patient from diagnosis till end of treatment," she says. "They're actually the ones that give the patient the diagnosis, make all of their initial appointments for them, and then stay connected to them throughout their entire journey."
Hughes adds that navigators also handle barriers to care, such as transportation issues and health insurance applications. She says the added position will allow them to provide face-to-face care with breast cancer patients in Novant’s outlying satellite communities, including Thomasville, Kernerville and Mount Airy.