Hospital Navigation Program Breaks Barriers, Builds Strength

The complex world of health care can be daunting, especially during a stressful time of need. Getting access to the care you need and understanding the process along the way are of utmost importance.

At Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, the Transition Support Program (TSP) identifies and assists patients and families with the coordination of their follow-up care. TSP helps patients and families navigate the complexities of the health care system, including appointments, medical insurance, referrals and transportation, and even helps provide motivational encouragement, also known as “strength-building,” to ensure patients follow through.

Trained volunteer navigators, including International Medical Graduates (foreign-trained doctors in the process of applying to U.S. residency programs), uniquely staff the program. The navigation team, led by Project Leader Mervin Dino, rounds on patients every morning alongside physicians, residents, nurses, and social workers and visits patients throughout the day. The program also proactively calls patients to help schedule their appointments.

“We started this program to better link our patients and families to care and address some of the socioeconomic barriers they face,” says Dino. “We know that many of our patients need a little extra encouragement to follow through on a care plan, and these efforts can help keep them healthy and out of the hospital.”

The expertise owned by the navigators is what makes this meaningful patient interaction possible. Currently representing more than eight nationalities and ten languages, this 12-member volunteer corps aims to create a more culturally and linguistically competent environment for patients and families from all backgrounds.

“Advocate Illinois Masonic is unique in that we have a clinical volunteer program designed specifically for international medical graduates and undergraduate students pursuing careers in the medical field,” says Bill Ryan, Manager of Guest and Volunteer Services at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. “The international medical graduate volunteers participating in the Transition Support Program are uniquely qualified to do so because of their extensive knowledge of medicine and medical technology. They represent future residents and physicians not only here in Chicago but around the United States.”

Some of these volunteers have gone on to achieve residency at Advocate Illinois Masonic, including Rafel Al-Hiali, a second-year resident. He credits his participation in the clinical volunteer program with his acceptance into AIMMC’s residency program.

For both undergraduates and international medical graduates, participation in hospital-based volunteer programs like this is invaluable and provides a competitive edge when applying to medical school and residency programs. The program’s interdisciplinary approach has enabled strong communication across multiple departments, including Care Management Services, Nursing, and the hospital service lines and has created a talent pool for project leaders such as Dino.

Jey Duraisingam, a medical graduate from Canada and one of TSP’s first navigators, sees and addresses first-hand the challenges that many of the hospital’s neediest patients face. Prior to joining TSP, Duraisingam started as a wayfinder, a volunteer who guides patients and visitors throughout the medical campus.

“TSP has been incredibly educational in giving me a greater understanding of the complexities and challenges high-risk patients face when following up on all medical appointments,” says Duraisingam. “In the Wayfinding program, I helped walk patients to their appointments throughout the medical campus. In many ways, TSP is an extension of Wayfinding, only now I am helping high-risk patients navigate and overcome obstacles preventing them from going to their appointments.”

The program’s impact is significant and growing, serving over 2,500 patients since its launch in August 2016. TSP has also helped uninsured patients receive necessary care and even enroll in insurance. By putting the patient first, the program has helped reduce readmissions and missed appointments and strengthen care coordination.

“Our goal is to address health disparities and overcome barriers to care,” says Dino. “We are all working together to be strength-builders for our patients and families.”

###

About Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center

Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center is a 397-bed non-profit teaching hospital located in the Lake View neighborhood on Chicago’s North Side. The medical center has a Level I Trauma Center and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the highest designations awarded by the state of Illinois, and offers comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care, including cardiovascular, oncology, digestive health and neurosciences services. A recipient of numerous awards for quality and clinical excellence, Advocate Illinois Masonic has achieved Magnet designation for excellence in nursing services from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The medical center has also been named a Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality by the Human Rights Campaign’s Healthcare Equality Index. Advocate Illinois Masonic is part of Advocate Health Care, the largest fully integrated health system in Illinois. For more information, visit www.advocatehealth.com/masonic.