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Family Services

The Family Services Department aims to improve maternal, child, and family health and well-being through targeted case management, home visiting, parenting education, and community-based patient navigation services that connect individuals and families with the health care and social services that best meet their needs.

Community-Based Patient Navigation

Navigating, Educating, and Supporting Together (NEST) 

Navigating, Educating, and Supporting Together is supported by AccessMatters.

Navigating, Educating, and Supporting Together (NEST) is a coordinated education and patient navigation program designed to improve breast and cervical health outcomes among Philadelphia’s Latina population. This program aims to increase capacity at the individual and community levels to overcome social determinants of health by increasing knowledge and awareness of risks and resources around breast and cervical health issues, and by decreasing barriers to access within the Latino community.

NEST builds from the evidence-based patient navigator model. As a community-based patient navigation program, NEST services differ from clinically-based navigator programs by extending into the community to reach individuals that may not otherwise access healthcare services. NEST utilizes a multi-faceted approach to achieve its goals and apply the following strategies:

  • One-on-one awareness-building activities with Latina women in a variety of settings, including health clinic waiting rooms, public transportation, and neighborhood block parties.
  • In-depth breast and cervical health/cancer education to groups in the most densely populated Latino communities in Philadelphia.
  • A patient navigator system that links individuals to health and social services based on their specific needs.
  • Convening Philadelphia’s only Breast Health Navigation Network formed to support patient navigators as they seek to relieve program participants of the stresses and burdens of navigating complex health and social service systems.

HPC has successfully applied its unique model for community-based patient navigation to provide support to Asian and Hispanic/Latina women in Philadelphia for nearly ten years. HPC is recognized for its breast cancer education and patient navigation services and, in 2012, received a National Platinum Award from Case in Point Weekly for its unique model and outstanding patient navigation services.

Successful Outcomes

  • Reached over 15,000 individuals
  • Provided in-depth breast health education to 5,000
  • Provided patient navigation services to over 1,500
  • 94% of program participants say they are now better able to set up their own breast screenings.
  • 98% intend to continue regular breast health.