We know how difficult it can be to receive a cancer diagnosis, but we're here to help every step of the way. We offer a Navigation Program to help you and your loved ones manage the stages of your care. Our patient navigation services provide you with highly trained nurse navigators and other supportive care professionals, such as financial counselors, dietitians, and social workers.
From diagnosis to treatment and beyond, you’ll be assigned a navigation team that’ll be with you throughout your journey. Our patient navigators work with you and your loved ones to help you manage your care. Your nurse navigator can:
Call (412) 359-3503 to reach your navigation team directly or request a call.
Your cancer navigation team includes nurse navigators, financial counselors, social workers, dietitians, and other supportive care professionals. We’re here to help you get through this challenging time by making your treatment journey as manageable as possible.
Nurse navigators are part of your care team, including doctors, technicians, and other experts dedicated to your cancer treatment. They are a consistent, central point of contact for you. Nurse navigators explain and coordinate care for your cancer diagnosis, treatment options, clinical trial information, and available resources. They also help you manage your symptoms, side effects, treatment, and results.
Our financial counselors can meet with you and your family to review bills, explain insurance coverage, and discuss financial aid. We can help find resources to aid with any financial struggles caused by cancer treatment costs.
Social workers can help you and your family connect with resources, like a therapist or support groups. Our social workers can also help you plan your advance directive.
Navigator support services also include a dietitian. They can evaluate your nutrition and recommend healthy food choices during and after your treatment to make sure your body receives the nutrients it needs.
Your patient navigation team can help connect you to any services you may need during your treatment, such as oncology rehabilitation and exercise, behavioral health counselors, integrative oncology (massage and acupuncture), genetic counseling, palliative care and pain management, cancer survivorship, and support groups.
The AHN Cancer Institute is a pioneer in cancer research and participates in clinical trials for new therapies that are open for patients who qualify and wish to participate. Patients are screened for consideration with ongoing clinical trials at every stage of their treatment.
Clinical trials are studies that try to answer questions about new ways to treat cancer with medications, radiation, or surgical techniques. Previous trials have shown how new methods of treatment improve survival and quality of life, and reduce the risk of cancer returning.
You participate in a clinical trial only if you volunteer to do so and meet criteria for inclusion in the study. You can stop participating in a trial at any time.
The plan for the trial, called a protocol, explains the goal of the trial and how the study will be conducted. Based on the questions the research is trying to answer, each clinical trial protocol outlines specific criteria necessary to be eligible to join the trial.
Common criteria for entering a trial are:
Federal rules help ensure that clinical trials are run in an ethical manner, with your rights and safety protected. These rules ensure that you’re not put at increased risk by participating in the trial, and that the results of the study are accurate and meaningful.
If you would like to participate in a clinical trial and help our innovative team discover groundbreaking cancer solutions, ask your doctor if you’re eligible. You can contact your nurse navigator with any questions at any time. See which clinical trials are currently active and open for participation.
There are three ways for medical professionals who are not a part of Allegheny Health Network to refer their patients to an AHN Cancer Institute specialist and request their first appointment. You can:
For more information about referring your patient to an AHN specialist, read the Independent Physician Referral FAQs.
After referring your patient to an AHN specialist, use the EpicCare Link platform to collaborate with their AHN specialist and view your patient's test results, treatment plan, and progress.
Log in to your EpicCare Link account now.
If you are new to EpicCare Link or need to request your own EpicCare Link account, read: EpicCare Link for Patient Follow-up for user instructions and new account request forms.
If you can’t access your patient's AHN test results through the EpicCare Link platform, your patient will need to complete and submit the correct AHN Medical Records Release form based on their state of residency. Support your patient’s request by downloading the correct medical records release form for them:
EpicCare® is a registered trademark of Epic Systems Corporation and used with permission.
EpicCare® Link™ is a trademark of Epic Systems Corporation and used with permission.
