Houston-based The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center improved patient experience this year with five new initiatives, according to a Dec. 18 post on its CancerWise blog.
1. MD Anderson launched a pre-intake navigation team made up of nonclinical health information specialists. They educate patients, help schedule new patient appointments, handle intake process details, manage registration and prepare these patients for their first visit. The team can also help patients who are uninsured, underinsured or whose referrals are incomplete navigate insurance and financial assistance.
2. The hospital launched an inpatient navigation program that placed case manager navigators on every unit to give patients and families additional support from admission to post-discharge. Patient satisfaction scores have increased hospital-wide since the program opened this year, the post said.
3. Last year, MD Anderson's Texas Medical Center campus opened its Art Space for Patients & Caregivers. The space offers instructor-led classes, self-directed art and virtual tutorials. All art supplies are free.
4. The Northwest Houston Surgical and Specialty Care, a care center in Houston, opened to patients in December 2023 and provides outpatient procedures and surgeries for breast cancer, gynecologic cancers, melanoma, urologic cancers and cancer-related pain. The center freed up operating rooms at MD Anderson and performed 1,450 surgeries in 2024, according to the release.
5. The health system's food and nutrition services launched a new plant-based menu for patients to order from during their hospital stay.