In Louisiana’s Bayou Region, hard work is a way of life. It’s ingrained in the local culture. While these communities are resilient, individuals and families are very prideful and often have a hard time asking for help. For this reason, people like Breana LeBouef, a patient navigator at Terrebonne General | Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, play an important role in connecting patients and caregivers to services and supporting them on their cancer journeys.
“The main thing that I always hear from patients is they grew up working hard,” Breana said. “For most people, they’re used to doing things on their own. Many people down here have been working since they were nine years old. So, when they ask for help, they definitely need it – because they wouldn’t be asking if they really didn’t need it.”
Born and raised in the Houma-Terrebonne area, Breana, a licensed master social worker, joined the Cancer Center in May 2024 as a patient navigator to care for people in her community and make a difference.
“These are the people that I grew up with,” she said. “I want to take care of them.”Patient navigators address barriers to care, such as transportation, financial hardships, medication assistance and social stressors. One of three patient navigators at Terrebonne General | Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, Breana’s job extends far beyond paperwork and phone calls. She leads a monthly support group for patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. She also oversees the Cancer Center’s boutique, which provides wigs, chemo beanies, shampoos, conditioners and silk sleeping caps for patients experiencing hair loss due to cancer treatment.
“Losing your hair is often one of the first things you notice when you look at yourself in the mirror,” Breana said. “The boutique helps them avoid having to order a whole bunch of wigs and not finding something they like. Here, at the Cancer Center, they can try as many as they want and find one they’re comfortable with.” In addition to being a navigator, Breana educates patients about the U-Thrive program, its purpose and the enrollment process. U-Thrive is a 12-week medical fitness initiative in the Cancer Center’s dedicated gym that doubles as a support group for patients at different stages of their journey. U-Thrive is a free cancer wellness program that helps patients manage symptoms and enhance their quality of life, primarily through strength and conditioning exercise and nutritional guidance.
Throughout the cancer journey, where patients encounter many doctors and nurses, Breana steps in and serves as a familiar face for her patients. Through her caring and infectious personality, Breana has developed close relationships with many of her patients – sometimes almost serving as an extended family member.
“My team and I don’t speak to our patients in medical jargon,” she said. “It’s more like, ‘Hey, how are you doing? How’s your family? Did you try that chili last night?’ And they’ll say, ‘You remembered that?’ I’ll reply, ‘Of course I did.’”
For Breana, it all boils down to this – patient navigation is about patient empowerment. She works to empower her patients so that they have some level of control in a process where so many things seem out of their control.
“You can’t control your cancer diagnosis. You can’t control how you’re going to react to the treatment,” she said. “So, if I can help patients control what they can, like supporting them in their hobbies and helping them feel comfortable in asking questions, that’s really important and can very much help in their overall healing process.”
Breana and her team of navigators play an extraordinarily important role in supporting the Cancer Center in its mission to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer in our communities. Terrebonne General and Mary Bird Perkins have partnered to deliver high quality cancer care, close to home, to patients in the Bayou Region since 2008. Along with an excellent team of navigators, they also provide the full spectrum of cancer care, from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, treatment, recovery, and survivorship.
For more information about patient navigation services and Terrebonne General | Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, please visit tgmbpcc.com.
