White House Leader Visits the Cancer Center

On Monday, March 11, 2024, Danielle Carnival, PhD, deputy assistant to President Biden for his administration’s Cancer Moonshot program, met with cancer physicians, nurses, and patients at UVA Health. The stated goals of the White House Cancer Moonshot are “improving the experience of people who are touched by cancer” and “reducing the cancer death rate in the United States by at least half—preventing more than 4 million cancer deaths—by 2047.” Carnival’s visit to Charlottesville celebrated UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center’s role in this effort—specifically its partnership in expanding patients’ access to nurse navigators.

Nurse navigators guide patients and their families through every step of their cancer journey, from diagnosis to survivorship. With specialized expertise in healthcare systems and oncology care, these professionals assess each patient’s unique needs and history, match them with the right providers and support services, and diligently manage schedules to ensure timely consultations and treatments. They also provide emotional support and educational resources to alleviate anxiety and empower patients to be proactive in their treatment journeys.   

The Biden administration recently announced new commitments from seven leading health insurance companies to begin paying for navigation services for people living with cancer and their families. In total, these health insurers serve more than 150 million Americans. UVA is one of only 40 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and community oncology practices committed to using the new insurance codes and other aspects of this initiative. 

During her visit to UVA Health, Carnival discussed how the new patient navigation insurance codes will reduce cancer disparities, improve health outcomes, and create a pathway of continued support for more American families. According to a March 16 article by Jason Armesto in the Charlotteville Daily Progress, she also acknowledged UVA’s already strong focus on patient navigation services, remarking:  

“UVA was ahead of us. We didn’t select them. They selected themselves. UVA was one of 40 cancer centers and community cancer providers across the country that stepped up and said, ‘We want to be a part of this. We want to say right now that we’re going to provide these services and that we’re going to report back on how they’re working.’” 

To meet the increasing demand for cancer patient care coordination, UVA Health would like to hire at least 12-15 additional nurse navigators, ensuring every team in the oncology service line has one to two navigators available to serve patients. Funding for nurse navigator positions is a top philanthropic priority for the organization.

Top photo (left to right): Thomas P. Loughran Jr., MD, director of UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center; Blake Herring, oncology service line administrator; Danielle Carnival, deputy assistant to the president for the Cancer Moonshot and deputy director for health outcomes of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Catherine Terrell, RN, director of the Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center clinical operations; Leigh Cantrell, MD, assistant director of clinical affairs for UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center and physician lead for the oncology service line; and Karen Ballen, chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology and medical director of the stem cell transplantation program.