A cancer diagnosis often throws people into unfamiliar territory, full of unknown obstacles. In what can be an overwhelming situation, an experienced guide helps.

That’s the job of a clinical care specialist (CCS) at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI). Each of HCI’s multidisciplinary programs focuses on a specific type of cancer—brain, breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological, head and neck, hematologic, lymphoma, sarcoma, skin, spine, thoracic, and urologic—and includes a CCS, who has training in the specific cancer, as part of its staff. The CCS organizes all aspects of each patient’s visit, starting from the first call to make an appointment.

Before the appointment, the CCS sends directions, maps, and other information to help the patient prepare for the visit. The CCS collects the patient’s medical records and previous lab results so clinicians can review them beforehand. This essential member of the multidisciplinary team coordinates same-day appointments with all the doctors involved; sets up a visit with an HCI social worker; and verifies the patient’s insurance coverage, setting an appointment with HCI financial counselors if necessary. After preparing the patient’s chart and other paperwork, the CCS meets the patient face-to-face and guides the patient through the day.

“The CCSs are a patient’s first contact with HCI. They calm anxieties, assess needs, and generally take the patient through all the requirements of that first visit. I’ve heard patients refer to them as superheroes,” says Gary Webster, who was appointed manager of Multidisciplinary Support at HCI in 2006.

“We’ve been developing the CCS concept since the cancer research hospital opened in 2004,” says Webster. “By early 2007, we expect every HCI mulitdisciplinary program will have a CCS.” In addition to patient coordination, the CCSs organize and coordinate weekly treatment planning conferences in which the multidisciplinary team members meet to review each patient’s case and determine the best individualized treatment. They also assist with developing a website and coordinate marketing and patient education for their program.

“In a sense, the CCS is the hub of each multidisciplinary program—coordinating the clinical and support teams, coordinating every aspect of the patient’s care,” Webster says. “They bring a much-needed personal touch to each patient’s experience.”