St. Joseph’s establishes patient-navigator program in emergency department

SYRACUSE — St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center today announced the establishment of a patient-navigator program in its emergency department.

St. Joseph’s started the program in April, the hospital said in a news release.

The program is part of an overall strategy to care for patients in the “appropriate health-care setting” and to connect to the services they need, the hospital said. The program includes three people who meet with patients seven days a week.

The patient navigators focus on two types of patients, Christina Pavetto Bond, associate for strategic integration at St. Joseph’s, said in the news release.

“First, they help those who do not have a primary care physician or are unable to get to their physician. Second, they meet with those who are un- or underinsured to help enroll them in insurance programs,” Bond said.

Since the program began in April, navigators have connected more than 500 patients with primary care, insurance, or both and nearly 80 percent of the patients have kept follow-up appointments, according to St. Joseph’s.

“Follow-up appointments are important because the best ongoing care for patients is with a provider who can get to know them and their unique healthcare needs,” said Bond.

Patient navigators are available in the emergency department Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., and weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the time frames when they see the most patients, the hospital said.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com