HealthCareCAN member Vancouver Coastal Health has launched a pilot program to improve healthcare journey of lung cancer patients.

The Lung Evaluation and Assessment Program (LEAP), a two-year pilot at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), will employ a nurse navigator – a clinician with cancer care expertise – to support patients, families and caregivers through the treatment process.

Previous studies have shown a nurse navigator provides a wide range of patient care benefits, including addressing psychosocial concerns and ensuring timely access to clinical and diagnostic services. Research has also shown this role reduces healthcare costs by decreasing hospital re-admission rates following surgery.

With wait times reportedly having cost Canadians $4.1B last year, innovative practices such as this have the potential to ease care backlogs, making Canada’s health system more efficient and cost-effective in the long run.

The project was made possible as a result of a $1M gift from Della & Stuart McLaughlin (pictured above) to VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation.

Read the full press release here.