JobsAdvocate Health

Cancer Care Coordinator - Surgical Oncology

Advocate Health · Pleasant Prairie, WI

Posted Sep 3, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

Behavioral

Tell me about a time you had to track down a diagnostic result or specialist report that was taking too long, and it was affecting a patient's care.

persistence and system navigation skills when timeliness directly affects cancer outcomes

Describe a patient you worked with who had poor social support or was struggling to cope. How did you identify that, and what did you do?

clinical judgment in spotting psychosocial risk factors early

Tell me about a time you had to explain a complex diagnosis or treatment plan to a patient or family member in a way that actually made sense to them.

patient education skill and plain-language communication under emotional stress

Give me an example of when you noticed a gap or inefficiency in how patients moved through the care system and you did something about it.

quality improvement mindset and initiative beyond individual patient tasks

Tell me about a time you led an in-service or trained a new staff member or student nurse. What did you focus on?

willingness and ability to take on mentoring and staff education duties described in the role

This role involves some travel with the surgical team and community outreach like health fairs or cancer awareness events. What draws you to that outward-facing part of the job, and what have you done like it before?

genuine interest in the community education and outreach component, not just clinical coordination

Technical

How do you use NCCN guidelines in your day to day work, and can you give an example of when a patient's case didn't fit the standard pathway?

real familiarity with evidence-based treatment algorithms versus just name recognition

What does your process look like when you're building or choosing patient education materials for a specific disease site program?

experience with program-level education development, not just one-on-one teaching

Have you ever had to speak with a third-party payer to negotiate coverage or push back on a denial for a patient's care? How did that go?

comfort and skill navigating insurance barriers on the patient's behalf

Situational

Walk me through how you'd guide a newly diagnosed surgical oncology patient from that first suspicious biopsy result through to their treatment plan. What does that path actually look like week by week?

whether the candidate understands the full care coordination pathway, not just one piece of it

A patient tells you they can't afford their treatment and are thinking about skipping it. What do you do in that conversation and in the days after?

knowledge of referral resources like financial counseling and follow-through, not just sympathy

You've got a surgeon who wants to move fast on a treatment plan and a patient who is scared and needs more time to process. How do you handle that tension?

ability to advocate for the patient while keeping the physician relationship collaborative

You're coordinating with physician offices, hospital departments, and outside agencies all on the same patient at once. How do you keep everyone aligned without things falling through the cracks?

cross-disciplinary communication and organizational systems for a high-touch caseload

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Advocate Health.

Department: 02160 AMG ASLMC Surgical - Hematology/Oncology Status: Full time Benefits Eligible: Yes Hou rs Per Week: 40 Schedule Details/Additional Information: Monday - Friday 8a-4:30pm Some travel with surgical team may be required Primary clinic location is Aurora St Lukes, Milwaukee WI Pay Range: $41.10 - $61.65 Major Responsibilities: • Provides for continuity of care by ensuring smooth transitions between care settings according to critical pathways (algorithms). Develops a relationship with patient and their primary care physician to facilitate and/or navigate through a cancer diagnosis, subsequent treatment and follow-up to reflect continuity of care. Personalizes the approach to patients with cancer to maximize service management. • Completes a nursing assessment with a focus on disease site which has program accountability and identifies the patient's individualized needs. Integrates with other departments and disciplines to develop plan of care. Provides evidence-based practice in the role as cancer care coordinator. • Guides patients with suspected cancer through the diagnostic phase. Tracks the testing and diagnostic reports through the system to ensure timeliness. Provides biopsy procedure follow-up phone calls as needed. • Communicates necessary information and collaborates with physicians/office staffs, hospital departments/staff, health care providers, other disciplines and community agencies regarding the patient diagnosed with cancer. • Refers patients to appropriate resources (i.e., Financial Counseling, cancer counseling center services, clinical trials nurse for research programs). Acts as advocate for patients with cancer. Maintains contact with patients requiring ongoing support as necessary. Identifies patients with compromised coping skills or lack of social support. Facilitates support group for patient with cancer and family members/significant others. • Collaborates with other caregivers to develop optimal systems, which achieve the most effective patient/family outcomes. Provides in-services and education offerings to staff. Assists leadership in the interview process and with orientation and training of staff, student nurses, etc. • Counsels and educates patients and their family members on issues of prevention and the early detection of other cancers in which they might be of risk. Evaluates and selects or designs patient education materials on specific disease site programs. • Actively seeks opportunities to promote awareness of specific cancer disease site program. Provides community education/outreach, e.g., health fairs, phone banks, Cancer Awareness month. Provides workshops, seminars and presentations to audiences in the professional and lay community. • Partners with leadership staff in cancer services to develop a vision for the care of patients in the specific disease site program. Participates in the development of the annual goals and objectives for the program services and in the development, implementation and maintenance of Quality programs that include evaluation of costs, patient care, and customer satisfaction. Utilizes data to implement "best practices". • Analyzes variances in standard treatment guidelines (NCCN guidelines algorithms) for initiatives with cancer to improve quality and efficiency, control costs, and provide systematic approach to the patient's total care. • Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served. Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs, and to provide the care needed as described in the department's policies and procedures. Age-specific information is developed further in the departmental job standards. Licensure, Registration, and/or Certification Required: • Registered Nurse license issued by the state in which the team member practices, and • Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) needs to be obtained within 6 months unless department leader has determined it is not required. Education Required: • Associate's Degree in Nursing. Experience Required: • Typically requires 5 years of experience in clinical nursing. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required: • Working knowledge of the components of quality and acute patient care needs specifically related to the area/function in which care management will be performed. • Excellent analytical and interpersonal communication skills necessary to negotiate with families, patient, physicians and third party payers for optimum plan. • Demonstrated ability to work well with physicians and other professionals in a direct and positive manner. • Demonstrated ability to operate all equipment necessary to perform the job, i.e., FAX, computer, copier, telephone system. Physical Requirements and Working Conditions: • Manual dexterity required for operation computer and calculator. • Visual acuity required to facilitate review of written documents/computer screens, medical records, and to record information accurately. • Clear oral communications and hearing acuity required for receiving instructions and converse on standard telephone. • Functional speech and hearing to allow for effective communication of instructions and conversation over the telephone. • Exposed to normal office environment. • Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job. This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties. Our Commitment to You: Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including: Compensation • Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training • Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job • Incentive pay for select positions • Opportunity for annual increases based on performance Benefits and more • Paid Time Off programs • Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability • Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses • Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave • Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs • Educational Assistance Program Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e.g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview. About Advocate Health  Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.

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