Patient Stories

In a desperate search for answers, a Corporate Partner employee contacted the Stanford Health Navigator for reliable information about a rare autoimmune disease who after some research told the employee about a clinical trial. After thanking the Navigator, the employee said that he’d searched online and found a trial at a medical center across the country. He was making plans to travel there with an open-ended ticket. Hearing this, the Navigator did some research on the trial and discovered it was the same one she had told him about. Like many trials, it was being conducted in two arms, one at the out-of-state medical center and another at a medical center in Northern California. Not only could he participate without traveling across the country, he didn’t even have to leave town to receive treatment. His local primary care physician could administer the trial’s protocol and monitor him throughout.
 

While in Stockholm visiting family, a Partner employee needed access to reliable information about his ailing father’s medical condition. He reached out to one his Health Navigator who worked with a health librarian to create an online packet of the latest medical data and treatment choices available. This allowed the employee and his family to make an informed decision about how best to move forward with the father’s care. When the Navigator followed up, they determined that the father’s physician in Sweden needed the information in Swedish. With the help of a Stanford Health Care interpreter, the Navigator had the packet translated for the physician, who could then use it to provide the employee’s father with better care. 

After relocating to Houston, a Partner employee needed a referral to an orthopaedic specialist. Since she was new in town, she contacted her Health Navigator for help. The Navigator compiled all the necessary medical background and arranged an appointment with a highly rated Houston orthopædist, who then consulted with Stanford Health Care specialists to develop the best plan of care. To further ease the stress of moving, her Navigator also identified several local primary care physicians who could meet the needs of the employee and her family. 

The HR contact from one of our Partners notified Navigation Services that one of their employees was driving her husband to the emergency room at Stanford. The Health Navigator met the employee and husband upon arrival and was able to get the husband roomed in the Emergency Department (ED) only after a couple of minutes of being triaged. The employee and her husband were visited by a Navigator throughout their time in the ED to answer questions, assist with issues and comfort both parties. The employee remained at her husband’s bedside until he was admitted into a private room. The employee was then personally escorted to her car by the navigator as she could not remember where she parked.  

A Partner employee contacted the Navigation team to let them know of his daughter’s unexpected admission to Stanford. The Navigators asked how they could help the family, and the patient’s father mentioned his concern about his car being towed, because it was still in the Emergency Department (ED) parking lot. The Navigator went to speak with ED Security, went back to the hospital to reassure the parents, and then walked the father’s sister back to the parking lot to move the car. 

A Partner employee from China had a relative that was looking for a colon specialist within the vicinity of his city. The employee was unsure of who to turn to for medical help within the city to help his relative. He reached out to his Health Navigator who after some research gave the employee a list of medical centers near his relative’s home in China that would be able to help. In shortlisting medical centers, the Health Navigator was cognizant that the issue may be very complicated and referred medical centers that would be best equipped to deal with complicated conditions. Being so far away from his relative, this assistance helped reduce the stress for the employee. 

A 49 year old employee was newly diagnosed with breast cancer and understandably scared and anxious. She did not know where to begin to start her treatment and experienced difficulty getting access to a specialist appointment at Stanford. She contacted Stanford Health Navigation services and a clinical navigator spoke to the employee regarding her test results. They were able to give her a better understanding of the next steps for care coordination, and they worked closely with colleagues at the Cancer Center to identify the best specialist for her specific type of cancer. The Navigator also helped coordinate all the patient’s specialist appointments in one day to avoid multiple trips.