Overview

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is an independent, nonprofit organization providing adult cancer treatment and groundbreaking research focused on cancer and infectious diseases. Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Washington.

With a track record of global leadership in bone marrow transplantation, HIV/AIDS prevention, immunotherapy and COVID-19 vaccines, Fred Hutch has earned a reputation as one of the world's leading cancer, infectious disease and biomedical research centers. Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation, proton therapy and related services, and network affiliations with hospitals in five states. Together, our fully integrated research and clinical care teams seek to discover new cures to the world's deadliest diseases and make life beyond cancer a reality.

At Fred Hutch we value collaboration, compassion, determination, excellence, innovation, integrity and respect. These values are grounded in and expressed through the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. Our mission is directly tied to the humanity, dignity and inherent value of each employee, patient, community member and supporter. Our commitment to learning across our differences and similarities make us stronger. We seek employees who bring different and innovative ways of seeing the world and solving problems. Fred Hutch is in pursuit of becoming an anti-racist organization. We are committed to ensuring that all candidates hired share our commitment to diversity, anti-racism and inclusion.

The Office of Community Outreach & Engagement (OCOE) is an integral component of the Consortium. It is housed at Fred Hutch in Seattle with field offices in Sunnyside and Spokane. The mission of the OCOE is to reduce cancer health inequities throughout the cancer care and research continuum by promoting relevant collaborative research and programs. The OCOE uses a qualitative and quantitative data-driven approach to identify our region's greatest needs and strategic research aims to address those needs, which are prioritized and implemented in partnership with our regional Community Action Boards and our Internal Advisory Council of leaders and faculty from throughout the Consortium.

The OCOE is seeking a Clinical Trials Navigator who shares our mission to achieve cancer health equity by using bidirectional, anti-racist, equitable, patient-centered approaches in clinical services and research. The position opening comes at an exciting time for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center as it recently merged clinical services and research under one roof. The Clinical Trials Navigator will engage with patients to assess and address barriers to participation in clinical trials. This is a grant-funded position that will last approximately two years.

The Clinical Trials Navigator will work in collaboration with the OCOE research team and clinic providers/staff to integrate an intervention into the clinical workflow and patient care setting to increase participation and diversity in cancer clinical trials. The intervention, called "Guiding participation toward Understanding, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity for cancer clinical trials, or GUIDE" integrates a staff member (Clinical Trials Navigator) into the cancer care delivery system to ensure that all patients are offered clinical trials and any barriers to participation are identified and addressed.

Responsibilities

The Clinical Trials Navigator will report to the OCOE Staff Scientist and work closely with clinic providers, staff, and patient navigators. Under general supervision, the Clinical Trials Navigator will work independently in performing daily responsibilities. The Clinical Trials Navigator will act as a liaison between clinicians, patients, researchers, and clinic sites to increase equity in clinical trial participation. The Navigator partners with existing patient navigation, social work, research nursing, and community organizations' services to address financial, cultural, logistical, and social barriers to trial participation. The Navigator will also query electronic medical records to obtain information for program implementation and evaluation.

Clinical Trials Navigation (80%)

• Communicate and coordinate with research nurses, nurse navigators, and providers to ensure that all patients are screened for available clinical trials.
• Meet with cancer patients who have been pre-screened and offered participation in an available trial and through empathic inquiry, identify and address health-related social needs and financial barriers to participation in clinical trials (may include patient reimbursements for expenses associated with participating in trials, such as transportation, childcare, food, and lodging).
• Partner with clinical patient navigators to connect patients to existing internal and community resources to address health-related social needs, such as food insecurity, transportation, housing instability, utility needs, etc.

Research Project Support (20%)

• Observe current clinical trials enrollment practices and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Assist study team in development of GUIDE pilot program study materials and workflow.
• Collaborate with research nurses, nurse navigators and OCOE research team to integrate GUIDE program procedures into existing clinical workflow.
• Assist patients in completing all required paperwork for reimbursement of personal expenses associated with clinical trial participation.
• Organize and track all research study and patient paperwork (electronic & hardcopies) in accordance with study protocol and confidentiality requirements.
• Track time and effort on clinical trial navigation to quantify program costs for economic assessment of program outcomes.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Associate's Degree; Work experience can be substituted for education
• Minimum of two years of direct patient interaction, preferably with oncology patients in a clinic setting.
• Demonstrated experience in remaining calm and empathic in potentially emotional situations, such as communicating with patients and family members who are learning of a cancer diagnosis.
• Demonstrated experience working in diverse and underrepresented communities, forming trusting relationships.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Ability to communicate clearly and professionally in both verbal and written form.
• Ability to communicate effectively by looking and listening for cues, asking open-ended questions, exploring cues, using pauses, screening responses, and clarifying response.
• Ability to effectively listen by using reflecting, acknowledging, summarizing, empathizing, and paraphrasing skill.
• Ability to effectively provide information by checking what information the person knows already, giving small amounts of information at a time, using clear terms and avoiding jargon, avoiding detail unless it is requested, checking for understanding, and pausing and waiting for a response.
• Demonstrated ability to form respectful, trusting, productive working relationships with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to communicate information in a culturally appropriate, respectful manner to a variety of audiences.
• Must have demonstrated cultural humility
• Knowledge of social determinants of health
• Experience with HIPAA compliance guidelines/Human Subjects Research, and principles of Good Clinical Practice
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, specifically Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook required.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's Degree- Experience working with oncology patients in clinical settings
• Experience working in public health, community health, health equity and/or health disparities research.
• Experience with cancer clinical trials

A statement describing your commitment and contributions toward greater diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism in your career or that will be made through your work at Fred Hutch is requested of all finalists.

The hourly pay range for this position is from $30.30 to $45.43 and pay offered will be based on experience and qualifications. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center offers employees a comprehensive benefits package designed to enhance health, well-being, and financial security. Benefits include medical/vision, dental, flexible spending accounts, life, disability, retirement, family life support, employee assistance program, onsite health clinic, tuition reimbursement, paid vacation (12-22 days per year), paid sick leave (12-25 days per year), paid holidays (13 days per year), paid parental leave (up to 4 weeks), and partially paid sabbatical leave (up to 6 months).

Our Commitment to Diversity