“We’ve seen over and over from an access standpoint how that makes a difference, then especially when you’re looking across racial disparities, ethnic disparities, geographic disparities, that having that person who can break down those barriers then is a great equalizer in that process,” Bonny Morris, PhD, MSPH, RN, senior director of navigation at the American Cancer Society, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about addressing disparities in cancer care through patient navigation and new rules from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on principal illness navigation. Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod  Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0  Earn 0.75 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at myoutcomes.ons.org by March 8, 2026. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of NCPD by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Learning outcome: Learners will report an increase in knowledge related to the role of the oncology navigator. Episode Notes Complete this evaluation for free NCPD.  Oncology Nursing Podcast episodes: Episode 64: Oncology Nurse Navigators Episode 158: Navigate Patients Through Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treatment and Survivorship Episode 229: How Advocacy Can Shape Your Nursing Career ONS courses: Equipping the Novice Oncology Nurse Navigator: An ONS Collaboration with AONN+ ONS books: Oncology Nurse Navigation: Delivering Patient-Centered Care Across the Continuum (second edition) Telephone Triage for Oncology Nurses (third edition) ONS Voice articles: Oncology Navigation Standards Help Patients Overcome Disparities and Barriers to Care Task Force Recommends Patient Navigation Services Increase Certain Cancer Screening to Advance Health Equity Oncology Nurse Navigator Roles Are Transforming Cancer Outcomes for Underserved Rural Patients New Roles in Oncology Nurse Navigation Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: Lean Practices for Resource Use, Timeliness, and Coordination of Care in Breast Cancer Navigation Low-Dose Computed Tomography: Effects of Oncology Nurse Navigation on Lung Cancer Screening Oncology Nurse Navigation: Expansion of the Navigator Role Through Telehealth Oncology Nursing Forum article: Oncology Nurse Navigator Effect on Emergency Department Visits and Hospital Admissions of Adults With Cancer Post–Outpatient Chemotherapy ONS Huddle Cards ONS Nurse Navigation Learning Library ONS 2017 Oncology Nurse Navigator Core Competencies Oncology Navigation Standards of Professional Practice Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation CBCN® Role Delineation Study: Executive Summary American Cancer Society resources: ACS CARES™ (Community Access to Resources, Education, and Support) Building Expertise, Advocacy, and Capacity for Oncology Navigation (BEACON) Initiative Cancer Action Network Health Equity Ambassador Program Leadership in Oncology Navigation (LION) National Navigation Roundtable What Can a Cancer Navigator Do for Me? (patient resource) CMS: Health Equity Services in the 2024 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities. To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org. Highlights From This Episode “When you get hit with that diagnosis, it’s like time stops. And even if the person that’s delivering that news—they’re trying to provide the best communication possible—but you just don’t hear anything else. And you’re overwhelme