How the American Cancer Society Supports Patient Navigation

The American Cancer Society (ACS) believes that patient navigation is critical to improving access to care for everyone. Navigation can remove barriers and improve access to care through patient-centered support from screening through survivorship. ACS has led and funded efforts to build navigation programs, supported public policy to support navigation, and studies the role and benefits of navigation.

ACS supports navigation through:

• ACS CARES^TM (Community Access to Resources, Education, and Support), that connects people with cancer and caregivers to information and resources chosen for each person’s needs through the ACS CARES^TM app, ACS team members, or ACS volunteer support.
• ACS Patient Navigation Roundtable, which shares research and best practices that support patient navigation, helps define navigator roles, and provides resources to help cancer navigation programs continue.
• ACS Patient Navigation Initiative, giving grants, education and support to 20 health systems with that provide care to historically excluded populations.
• ACS Global BEACON Initiative, that provides training, support, and grants for patient navigation in low- and middle – income countries.
• ACS CAN’s policy priorities to support navigation with a multi-year campaign to get Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance coverage and payment for patient navigators.
• ACS Health Equity Ambassadors work in their local communities to provide education for African American/Black, Asian, Hispanic/Latino, Native American and rural populations on cancer prevention and early detection.
• ACS Patient Navigation Training and Credentialing to support the professional patient navigation workforce.