Before patients ever visit the Bowyer Oncology Center at UCLA Health, Alicia Buffi, RN, goes out of her way to meet them.
Buffi, a nurse navigator, will introduce herself to hospitalized patients before they leave Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Her goal is to ease their minds and let them know they've have support during their outpatient care.
"I'm a familiar face and I can continue to keep an eye on them throughout their course," she said. "Once they get more acclimated, after the first or second appointment, I'll re-introduce myself."
Rather than provide direct patient care, Buffi helps people with cancer address a variety of medical, financial and logistical needs that arise during their treatment. With National Nurses Month in May, she reflected reflected on the contributions of UCLA Health nurses.
"All that we do behind the scenes makes a huge impact on people's health care," she said. "This is what nurses do and how essential we are. I definitely appreciate all of my co-workers and my friends that are nurses."
Connecting with resources
Buffi has been a nurse for 10 years, starting her career providing bedside care. She joined UCLA Health in 2022 as a case manager for oncology/hematology patients.
In January 2025, she became nurse navigator at the Bowyer Oncology Center. The center, part of the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, specializes in hematology/oncology care for people with leukemia, lymphoma or sickle cell disease. In addition to providing infusions, it offers clinical trials and cancer genetics.
"Once I started working with that specialized patient demographic, I found it was very impactful work," Buffi said. "It's nice to be an advocate and a guide and a calm voice when everything is kind of overwhelming. Sometimes it feels like they're all alone."
Buffi's duties vary. "It's very specialized and individualized for each patient," she said.
She talks to them about their treatment, which may include approaches such as chemotherapy or a bone marrow transplant. She helps them understand what side effects they may experience.
"Chemotherapy can be confusing for people, especially on their first or second cycle," she said. "I make sure they understand their next steps."
Buffi helps with disability forms or ordering medical equipment. "It can help them have a sense of relieve that someone is there to help with the paperwork," she said.
When she meets with patients, she addresses more than their medical needs. Finances come up, especially when people are out of work for treatment.
She discusses transportation access, food insecurity and assistance for paying utilities.
"I feel like I'm able to communicate effectively with my patients and make them feel comfortable to open up to me about all these vulnerable things they're going through," she said. "I really like helping people."
In one case, Buffi helped arrange meal delivery to a patient who lacked transportation but wanted fresh foods.
Buffi said a healthy diet is important for people undergoing cancer treatment.
"Overall, it's to support their immune system and make sure they're getting adequate protein and calories to repair," she said. "There's a lot of muscle wasting that goes on during treatment."
She can also make referrals to a nutritionist or to the Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology, which offers an array of programs for holistic support.
Buffi is developing a resource list that she uses to start conversations with patients about their needs and available services. She also makes a point to talk to them about topics unrelated to concer, such as their social lives.
Specialized oncology care
Buffi recently was certified in Oncology Nursing. The OCN certification is a nationally recognized credential demonstrating advanced knowledge and clinical competence in oncology nursing.
"I wanted to have as much background and certifications as I possibly could to be able to provide the best care for my patients," Buffi said. "The more informed I am, the more I can inform my patients."
Buffi said she appreciates the advanced care available to UCLA Health patients.
"They definitely recognize the need for specialized health care and more patient-centered care and innovation," Buffi said.
She said the most rewarding part of her job is seeing her patients smoothly move through their treatment: "The less questions they have, the more successful I've been, meaning they have a full understanding of their treatment, everything is going well, they're coming to their appointments."
