Brookwood Baptist Reintroduces Nurse Navigator Program for Breast Cancer Patients

Brookwood Baptist Reintroduces Nurse Navigator Program for Breast Cancer Patients

BIRMINGHAM, ALA. - Just ahead of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, learn about a great resource for Breast Cancer Patients at Brookwood!

Meet Our Nurse Navigator for Breast Cancer Patients

Name: Stacey Bessiere
Title: Nurse Practitioner, Breast Navigator
How Long with BBH: 22 years
Purpose of the role: To help navigate patients from abnormal mammograms to the breast surgeon for further evaluation, be a resource for breast cancer patients

Why is the nurse navigator position important?
The nurse navigator position is important because it helps bridge the gap between the patient’s OB/GYN (or PCP) and the breast surgeon when it comes to abnormal mammograms and/or breast ultrasounds.

What’s a day in the life of the nurse navigator look like?
Women’s diagnostics will send any abnormal mammograms or breast ultrasounds by fax to the navigator. The navigator then contacts the patient to help them understand the results and to refer them to a breast surgeon. I usually try to explain the biopsy procedure that may be done in a few days after consulting with the surgeon. I keep up with each patient’s appointments, biopsies, and results. If the patient’s biopsy comes back negative then the patient is released. If the biopsy is positive, I contact the patient to see if there are any resources or questions they may have for the next step of their journey.

What would you say is the most enjoyable part of your job?
I enjoy interacting with patients and helping to relieve their fears.

What are things that make Brookwood’s cancer center set apart?
Our cancer center is truly a family of coworkers and our big hearts are what set us apart from others. Most of us have worked here for over ten years together and each of us treat our patients as if they are our own family. To us, a patient is much more than a number to be a treated but is someone’s mother, father, sister, or brother and should be treated with respect.