Susan G. Komen and AstraZeneca have partnered together to develop the Navigation Infrastructure Collaboration (NIC) to help move patient navigation from a local programmatic service to a national health care infrastructure.
Rather than asking every clinic, hospital or cancer center to build and maintain its own navigation program, NIC leverages Komen’s established Patient Care Center (PCC) to create a scalable, virtual, telehealth-based navigation model that can be shared across health systems and care settings.
Why Patient Navigation Matters
An estimated 30% of cancer patients receive care outside of accredited programs where navigation is not required, increasing the likelihood of delays in diagnosis, treatment initiation and follow-up care.
At the same time, there is no comprehensive national understanding of where navigation services exist, how they are delivered, if there is a patient cost associated with the services or where the most critical gaps remain. Without this foundational knowledge, efforts to expand navigation are inherently limited. As a result, navigation programs remainsiloed within individual institutions, preventing the development of scalable, system-wide solutions.
How We Can Help
A breast cancer diagnosis is hard enough. Finding your way through the health care system should not be. Patients are often expected to coordinate appointments, understand complex treatment options, manage insurance challenges, find financial assistance and advocate for themselves while facing one of the most frightening moments of their lives. Imagine every person diagnosed with cancer having their own expert guide.
I feel privileged to help them get through one of the hardest moments in their lives. What is only a moment for me is their entire world at the moment. I am there to listen and provide vital tools for their toolbox to help them through this difficult time. – Mari, a Komen patient navigator
Just as an experienced guide leads climbers through the world’s most difficult mountains, a patient navigator helps individuals navigate one of the most overwhelming experiences of their lives. They help patients find the right path, overcome obstacles, avoid wrong turns and keep moving forward when the health care system feels confusing or impossible to navigate alone.
Support Should Not Depend on Location
Today, whether someone has access to that kind of support often depends on where they receive care. The NIC seeksto change that by creating a future where every cancer patient, regardless of zip code, income, or treatment setting, has a trusted guide by their side from diagnosis through survivorship. The next breakthrough in cancer care may not be a new medicine. It may be making sure every patient can successfully access the high-quality care we already know works.
Why This Is Innovative and Nationally Significant
The true innovation of NIC is that it does not fund another patient navigation program. It creates the infrastructure required to make navigation accessible. Much like broadband expanded access to information or telehealth expanded access to clinicians, NIC seeks to create the foundational system that allows high-quality navigation to reach patients regardless of geography, provider resources or insurance status.
By transforming navigation from a fragmented service into shareable health infrastructure, this initiative has the potential to become one of the most significant advances in equitable cancer care delivery in the U.S., creating a pathway for every patient to receive the guidance and support they need throughout their cancer experience.
