Course Schedule and Application
Mission: To help reduce cancer health disparities
One in four deaths in the United States is attributable to cancer, and one in three Americans will eventually
develop some form of cancer. Each day, 3,400 people in America are diagnosed with cancer and another 1,500 die from the disease.
But the burden of cancer is too often greater for the poor, ethnic minorities, and the uninsured than for the general population.
Many ethnic minorities develop cancer more frequently than the majority of the U.S. white population.
Some specific forms of cancer affect other ethnic minority communities at rates up to several times higher than national averages.
Many ethnic minorities also experience poorer cancer survival rates than whites. Much of the disparity in cancer outcome is
a reflection of type, timeliness, and continuity of cancer care rather than the disease itself.
Patient Navigator:
A patient navigator accompanies patients, serves as guide and translator
and provides transportation if needed. They help cancer patients get timely access to care and treatment by anticipating and
avoiding potential barriers to care:
• Financial • Communication
• Information • Transportation
If an abnormality is found, the patient navigator is
pivotal in providing assistance to patients in obtaining follow-up care. The one-on-one attention guides and navigates
patients through a very complex health care system.
