To date, the Harold P. Freeman Patient Navigation Institute (the Institute) offers the sole certification program for patient navigation training. Dr. Freeman had pioneered the concept of patient navigation in 1990 to increase standards of treatment and patient care, particularly with regard to cancer.

Representatives from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention were among the first to be certified, and representatives from the Cleveland Clinic were the first to be trained. To earn certification, the representatives participated in a three-day course at the Institute.

"Up until the Institute began offering our training and certification program, there were no standards or measures to ensure patient navigation programs achieve maximum success in reducing barriers for cancer patients to diagnosis and treatment," said Dr. Freeman. "Now for the first time, we've created standards and principles that can be tailored to each community's specific needs."

Dr. Freeman is internationally recognized as an authority on cancer in underserved communities. He initiated and developed the first program in Harlem to reduce disparities in access to diagnosis and treatment. Based on these experiences, he developed a gold standard for patient navigation.

Dr. Freeman founded the Institute in June 2007 with support from a $2.5 million grant received from the Amgen Foundation. Since its inception, 42 representatives from 12 organizations across the U.S. have graduated from its training and certification programs. For further information, visit http://www.hpfreemanpni.org.