Care Management at Western
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The Care Management Department at CTCA at Western Regional Medical Center (Western) provides advocacy and information to reduce stress during your cancer journey.
If you decide to come to Western, a team of two care managers will be assigned specifically to you. These two individuals will guide you through your entire treatment and recovery process. They will coordinate every aspect of your care so that you can focus on healing. Should any problems arise, your care managers will work together with the rest of your care team to find a solution.
Getting to Know Your Care Managers
Elizabeth Acord serves as the Director of Oncology Patient Services and Care Management at Western. She explains, “On a daily basis I oversee clinic operations. Our mission is to ensure that our patients have a smooth and seamless experience here at Western.”
The care managers at Western are all registered nurses (RNs) with oncology expertise. They are excellent communicators and work alongside members of both the conventional medicine and complementary medicine departments to streamline your experience.
Advocating on Your Behalf
When you arrive at Western, you will meet with your personal care managers. This first meeting takes place at the beginning of your initial evaluation period at the hospital.
Your care managers will serve as your mentors and advocates before, during, and after your treatment. One individual typically serves as the primary care manager, while the other serves as the secondary manager.
Acord explains the care manager’s role, “Primary and secondary care managers are actively involved with patients during their time at the facility and also when they are back at home. They meet with every patient upon their arrival at the facility as well as coordinate their discharge.”
During your care, if you experience any distressing side effects from cancer treatment or have any medical questions, you can contact your care managers. They will work alongside your doctors to find the appropriate solution.
In addition, sometimes it is necessary for your care managers to call and coordinate details with your insurance company. Taking care of these details for you allows you to put your time to better use.
Scheduling Your Appointments
We understand that traveling to a treatment facility from out of town can be exhausting. CTCA takes care of many details for you, including scheduling your appointments. The Care Management Department stays in close contact with schedulers to ensure your individual needs are met.
Acord notes, “Western’s implementation of a centralized scheduling model allows patients to receive a complete schedule from any scheduler in the building. All of our schedulers are also trained to set up travel arrangements for patients and caregivers.”
She adds, “The time spent booking appointments and travel helps to improve the patient’s overall experience. [We] spend time discussing patients’ preferences, likes, and dislikes in order to provide more personalized service.”
Overview of Care Management Services
The following are some of the specific services your care managers provide:
- Work with your insurance company so you don’t have the hassle
- Consult daily with your care team to review and discuss your treatment plan
- Help you understand your medical plan, including treatments and medications
- Ensure that you are getting quality care
- Keep track of your medical tests, including labs and scans
- Help coordinate medications through consultation with your doctors
- Coordinate discharge planning
- Stay in touch after you leave via the CTCA Survivorship Support Program
Availability
Care managers are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including weekends and holidays. They are in the hospital from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can talk with your care managers in person, by phone, or through email. Phone and email information will be provided to you as soon as you decide to come to CTCA.
