Next Generation Healthcare Nurse Navigators: The Advantages That Won Over ‘Solo Cowboy’ Practitioners

When Bon Secours adapted Geisinger's case management model six years ago and embedded nurse navigators within physician practices, there was reluctance and even resistance from some solo cowboy physician practitioners, recalls Robert Fortini, PNP, chief clinical officer for Bon Secours Medical Group. Today, providers are fiercely protective of the cadre of 70 nurse navigators, who do the heavy lifting of chronic care management. In this audio interview, Fortini offers some lessons learned for organizations considering the embedded case management approach, including budgetary planning, calculations, and icing-on-the-cake outcomes for patients and hospitals.