Welcome to Buddy Check 4. One of the most important decisions each of us can make in our lives is to become our own health care advocate. Becoming a part of Buddy Check 4 will allow you to get monthly healthcare reminders directly from Southeast Alabama Medical Center and encourages us to be cognizant of our own health while serving as a resource for our friends, family and our community. I have dealt first hand with one of my family members fight against cancer and this program could save someone you know or yourself. I challenge you to join me and others in the community by becoming a part of the life saving Buddy Check 4 program.

What does a nurse navigator do? She is someone who helps the patient move smoothly through the healthcare system.

Goal of a Nurse Navigator:

 To facilitate timely access to quality, standard cancer care in a culturally sensitive manner for all patients.
 Patient navigation is to span the period from cancer detection procedures (i.e., screening mammography) through cancer diagnostic test, to completion of treatment.
 For a woman newly diagnosed with cancer, figuring out what happens next, what to expect, and how to ensure she is getting appropriate care is overwhelming without help.
 In the past, technically, everyone involved in a patient’s care and treatment has always had some role in navigating the patient along the decision making and treatment pathway, but this process was fragmented and had no way to assess its effectiveness.
 Today, Southeast Alabama Medical Center provides nurse navigation to all breast cancer patients to ensure they receive the quality care they deserve.
 For more information on nurse navigation, call the Women’s Imaging Center at (344) 699-8111ext. 8459 or ldanford@samc.org

Buddy Check is a program to promote breast health. We'll even send you a simple reminder to do a breast self-exam every month.

 Find a buddy -- a family member, friend, or co-worker.
 On the 4th of each month, call your buddy and remind each other to do a breast self-exam.
 If you find a lump, call your physician.

Take charge of your own health and register yourself and a buddy at BuddyCheck4.com. Just click the logo below to register.

When you register, you and your buddy will receive valuable tools and information that will enable you to educate yourselves and take charge of your health.