MKHC in Action: Patient Navigation Saves Lives

Patients come to MKHC mainly for primary care services. When health concerns arise that require external care, MKHC’s patient navigation and coordination services come into play, connecting patients to life-saving care.

Ms. A, a 52-year-old mother of five, came to MKHC in spring 2025 for her first check-up in several years. During this visit, her primary care provider referred her for a routine cervical cancer screening. When the results indicated abnormalities, MKHC’s care coordination team quickly facilitated further testing, which ultimately confirmed a diagnosis of cervical cancer.

At this point, MKHC’s patient navigator stepped in to guide Ms. A through her options as an uninsured patient. She informed Ana about Maryland’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program for uninsured residents and supported her through the enrollment process. With this help, Ms. A was able to move forward with treatment. Through that program, she underwent 27 rounds of radiation therapy and 5 rounds of chemotherapy; now, a year after the cancer was discovered, she is cancer free.  

Without MKHC’s care coordination and navigation, Ms. A's cancer may have gone undiagnosed, and life-saving treatment might have remained out of reach. Instead, she was connected and supported every step of the way.

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