CCRI receives ACS LION grants

The American Cancer Society is presenting ACS LION grants to help four members of the Cancer Center and Research Institute team in cancer navigation certification. 

UMMC received the grants to offset the expense of becoming Certified Cancer Navigators for social workers Kathleen Bass and Karen Ross; Wendy Arinder, MSN, RN, BMTCN, inpatient IDT care coordinator; and Latoya Barbary, Bone Marrow Transplant program navigator. 

We are moving toward using this certification to make sure all cancer-related navigators can provide consistent experiences for our patients. While it invests in each individual as a valuable employee, it also enhances our patients’ experience with us.  

ACS LION, an acronym for American Cancer Society Leadership in Oncology Navigation, is a standardized training and credentialing program that helps navigators deliver this essential support to individuals, caregivers, and families experiencing cancer. The program meets Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services training requirements for principal illness navigation reimbursement and is aligned to professional oncology navigation standards.