ORLANDO – Christine Figler, RN, BSN, OCN, specialty practice administrator at the Cancer Care Center at St. Luke’s University Health Network, recently received a Best Practices Award in the quality improvement category at the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators’ (AONN+) annual conference in Orlando. AONN+’s Best Practices Award recognizes navigators who have implemented novel initiatives to support patients with cancer. Figler was honored for developing and implementing the St. Luke’s Cancer Center HOPE LINE, a centralized call center run by highly trained patient navigators who help to streamline the care process for patients by scheduling their appointments and serving as a single point of contact.
The Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+) is the largest national specialty organization dedicated to improving patient care and quality of life by defining, enhancing, and promoting the role of oncology nurse and patient navigators. The organization, which has more than 5,000 members, was founded in 2009 to provide a network for all professionals involved and interested in patient navigation and survivorship care services in order to better manage the complexities of the cancer treatment process.