Hoots Faced Fear of Chemotherapy with Navigation

When Linda Hoots arrived at the CVMC Infusion Center in December for what she understood to be iron infusions, she felt blind-sided to learn that she would, in fact, be getting the first of 18 chemotherapy sessions.
That’s when Deanna Griffie, RN OCN intervened to help steer Hoots through the medical system maze. Over the six months of chemotherapy treatment, Griffie helped her understand her diagnosis and alleviate her fears.
“She was the one who answered all of the questions I was trying to figure out and helped me overcome the fear and confusion, coordinating each of the following steps for me,” says Hoots, 68 years old, who lives in Newton. “She took me to the cancer resource center to talk and explained the side effects of chemotherapy and helped me reschedule the first chemotherapy treatment so I could start it after the holidays.”
Nurse Navigators are part of a growing field of caregivers who help patients make informed medical decisions and assist with setting up multiple doctors’ appointments, help patients understand test results, treatment regimens and offer emotional support.
“It is not uncommon for cancer patients like Linda to need support and advocacy when faced with complex treatment decisions and follow-up options. Sometimes patients are simply unable to absorb all of the information and just need to have someone knowledgeable to help walk with them on the journey,“ says Griffie.
With access to Hoots’ patient medical records and notes from the treating physicians, Griffie used pictures and charts to walk Hoots through the diagnosis and helped her ask questions that had escaped her while she was digesting the news during her doctor visit. She then gave Hoots a tour of the Infusion Center and introduced her to the team of nurses who would be taking care of her in the following months.
Hoots said that having Griffie’s support immediately calmed her down. She sings praises about the compassionate care she gets at CVMC’s Comprehensive Cancer Center. “When they told me, ‘Linda, we will take care of you,’ it gave me the desire to fight.”