Patient Navigator Job Opportunity at Aga Khan Health Service, Tanzania (AKHST)

Patient Navigator 

Aga Khan Health Service, Tanzania (AKHST)

Aga Khan Health Service, Tanzania (AKHST) – an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a not-for-profit international organization that supports social development programs in Tanzania. It has completed a major expansion to position the institution to become a leading and integrated tertiary and teaching health care system in Tanzania.

As part of its health system strengthening initiatives in working with and supporting Government Health Programmes, AKHST, Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and Agence Frangaise de Developpement (AFD) are partnering on an innovative public-private collaborative project called the Tanzania Comprehensive Cancer Project (TCCP) that aims at strengthening and expanding the quality, access and capacity of cancer care services in the country. The project collaborators include the Ministry of Health, Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI), Bugando Medical Centre (BMC), Muhimbili National Hospital(MNH)and President’s Office-Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG) wif-h technical support from Institute Curie.

TCCP is implemented in Two target regions (Dar es Salaam and Mwanza). The project has A major objectives which include: a) Improvement and expansion of existing oncology infrastructure to provide more comprehensive Oncology care through health systems strengthening: b) Build the capacity of staff in participating institutions to provide high quality cancer care by trained specialists, and train and retain local professionals through accredited programs: c) Strengthen community cancer engagement and awareness including primary cancer prevention, screening, and early detection: and d) Develop and maintain relationships with stakeholders and participating institutions on joint research agenda and initiatives.

AKHST is seeking for enthusiastic and qualified experienced personnel for the following position to be part of this exciting project:

POSITION TITLE: PATIENT NAVIGATOR – (1 POSITION)

Reports to: Partnership, Capacity Building & Communication Manager

POSITION SUMMARY

Patient Navigator, guides patients through various aspects of the healthcare system, ensuring they are well-informed and receive adequate care. He/She is an important member of the health care team who helps newly diagnosed patients overcome barriers to quality care. They address barriers and accepts & coordinate referrals together with managing assigned caseload. Develops care initiatives to assess and coordinate care management for the patient in manner that is medically appropriate and cost effective.

The goal of the TCCP Patient Navigator is to navigate newly diagnosed patients from the A collaborating Cancer Centers (AKHST, ORCI, BMC & MNH); 100 Public Health Facilities supported by the project and surrounding communities to receive timely, patient-centered care at any of the TCCP collaborating Cancer Centers. He/She will engage patients, create a trusting relationship, navigate patients to TCCP Cancer Centers appointments, and closely communicate with a patients entire care team based on clearly outlined goals and identified patient needs. The Patient Navigator will aid patients in the coordination and completion of appointments inside these centers and help decrease barriers to timely Cancer care and treatment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Contact patients over the phone to assist in setting up Oncology appointments at any TCCP Cancer Center and provide reminder phone calls prior to every appointment.
• Work with patients, providers, and TCCP Cancer Centers care team to set goals for patients care.
• Provide navigation for patient by addressing any logistic barriers, scheduling complications, childcare needs, etc., that would prevent a patient from showing up at their appointment.
• Address any relevant insurance concerns or issues by connecting patients with appropriate resources and team members.
• Assist patient in connecting with necessary supportive care services, psychosocial and palliative care, and social work.
• Coordinate patient referrals from the community to primary health facilities to tertiary facilities and vice versa
• Provide education about cancer clinical trials and when appropriate, assist patient in connecting with care team about available services and resources to support participation.
• Provide culturally sensitive services to patients from different cultures.
• Accompany patients to specialty and imaging centers outside of the TCCP Cancer Centers when needed to provide support and advocacy.
• Maintain regular communication with the patient’s providers through clinical messages and via emails, phone calls and case review meetings.
• Refer to internal or external case management services when other issues are identified (i.e. hunger issues, domestic violence issues, etc.)
• Provide advocacy, patient education and support in accessing community-based and hospital-based programs.
• Document every intervention into the appropriate medical record
• Develop and maintain a strong working relationship with the schedulers of oncology appointments and related services.
• Work with medical interpreters to reach patients of other languages.
• Produce mid-year and end of the year reports on program activities compiling data from data bases and writing up case examples.
• Be involved in evaluation and research activities in the program as needed
• Work with community coordinators of the project and community healthcare workers to enhance community referrals and establishing community programs (e.g., saloon project)
• Report quality measures.
• Liaison with insurance companies for cancer patients
• Serve as a clinical resource and community referral resource within the project.
• Assist organizing & coordinating cancer survivorship events and programs.
• Participate in regular project meetings, huddles, staff meetings and quality improvement projects to improve patient care.
• Consult with the medical staff, nursing staff and ancillary department staff to eliminate barriers to the efficient delivery of care. Identify service delivery problems and potential for effective patient management intervention.
• Follow-up with assigned patients in all laboratory tests and consults to ensure work is done.
• Attend and represent the project at scientific conferences, in-service trainings, and meetings at the request of or with the approval of Supervisor
• Perform all other duties as assigned by the Supervisor or his/her Designee.

Education and Experience:

• Minimum Bachelor Degree in Psychology/Social Work/ Business Administration or related field
• Strong understanding of cultural competency with the target population
• Bilingual (English/Swahili)
• Computer literacy
• Knowledge of complex cancer patient issues (cancer survivor is preferred)
• Exposure to issues of death and dying
• Minimum Two (2)years of experience working in community or health settings.
• Demonstrated commitment to impacting the care of cancer patients.
• Experience working as a patient navigator/community health worker preferred

Personal characteristics and skills:

• Commitment to the mission of cancer care coordination
• Passionate, trustworthy, and empathetic when working with cancer patients
• Ability to build relationships with different types of people, including patients, project members, and health care providers
• Good communication and interpersonal skills and ability to speak concisely to clients and Care Team members
• Organized with confidential patient material and appointment tracking
• Flexible and adaptable in response to changing patient and health care providers’ needs
• Interest in working with cancer patients

DUTY STATION: Dar es Salaam, the incumbent should be willing to travel in project target areas.

EQUAL EMPLOYEMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO) STATEMENT:

Aga Khan Health Service, Tanzania (AKHST) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. By embracing diverse skills, perspectives, and ideas, we choose to lead. Applicants from all age, sex, religion, race, national origin, and individuals with disabilities are strongly encouraged.

APPLICATION LETTERS, CVs AND EDUCATION CERTICATES SHOULD BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO: [email protected] WITH THE SUBJECT LINE OF THE POSITION OR HAND DELIVERED TO HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT, P. 0. BOX 2289, OCEAN ROAD, DAR ES SALAAM.

CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS IS END OF BUSINESS DAY ON SATURDAY 3rd SEPTEMBER, 2022.

“AKHS is concerned about the climate and environmental crises we face and is doing everything possible to reduce our own impact, encouraging others to do the same, and advancing understanding in this field. AKHS has set itself the task of getting as close to net-zero carbon operations as possible by 2030. We expect all staff to contribute to achieving these aims in the context of their roles. We encourage applicants with previous experience or an interest in this field to apply