After receiving a medical diagnosis, a person begins a journey to learn about the condition, explore treatment options and advocate for themselves. Along this new path it's common to feel lonely, overwhelmed and defeated. Patient navigators are a resource that can help relieve some of those stressors while a patient is pursuing care. They provide support to help patients navigate through screenings, diagnoses, treatments and follow-ups. Listen as L. Tiffani Collins, Senior Program Administrator of Cancer Support Care SDOH Navigation Services at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center shares about the essential role patient navigators have in helping patients overcome barriers to accessing services and improve the continuum of care. This work is a part of National Patient Advocate Foundation's Shared Decision-Making at Critical Points in a Long Illness Journey, a project made possible in part by support from the Danaher Foundation.

There is a one of a kind connection you have when working to improve the health and wellbeing of the community you are from. Darryl Jefferson is committed to being the change he wants to see in his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. Between his role as the Director of Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program for the Mississippi State Department of Health, Fannie Lou Hamer Cancer Foundation, and his own business, Darryl brings deep knowledge of his community, passion for his work and commitment to health equity to his work. Listen as he shares about the importance of learning from communities by respecting the knowledge community members have and centering the solutions they believe in. This work is a part of National Patient Advocate Foundation's Shared Decision-Making at Critical Points in a Long Illness Journey, a project made possible in part by support from the Danaher Foundation.

When a person is diagnosed with cancer they can choose to walk that journey privately or lean on their support system to help them through it. When Desiree Nuckols received her breast cancer diagnosis at 28 years old, she decided to go through that journey with the help of her family. Just a few years prior Desiree's mother passed away as a result of breast cancer. Although the journey she was about to embark on was scary, it also led to a couple of blessings such as Desiree giving her life to God, her family being more unified than ever before, her learning how to advocate for herself at the highest level, and her paying the kindness that she received forward to other patients. Listen to hear how in the midst of the challenge, her family found moments of gratitude and joy.