On busy days at the UCHealth Outpatient Infusion Clinic – Anschutz Outpatient Pavilion, caring for up to 90 patients requires close coordination among nursing, pharmacy, providers and support teams. As the largest infusion clinic in UCHealth, the team manages a wide range of specialty treatments and patient needs, making thoughtful planning essential to delivering timely, seamless care.
For infusion clinic charge nurse Etzany Diaz Ocampo, BSN, RN, that complexity highlighted an opportunity to strengthen how care teams connect patients with the right care at the right time. She saw that small gaps in communication or preparation could create unnecessary stress for patients as well as staff.
“If our coordination breaks down, patients feel it first, especially those with limited transportation or complex treatments,” said Diaz Ocampo. “The whole day can ripple from there.”
With that perspective in mind, Diaz Ocampo undertook her UEXCEL Level III project to enhance the patient experience and develop proactive, nurse-led coordination. She focused on creating a nurse care coordinator role to bring clinical insight earlier into the scheduling and preparation process. Through project research and staff surveys, she noted that many delays and disruptions stemmed from issues that could be anticipated through nursing review.
“Certain chemotherapies, such as Taxol, are highly reactive during a patient’s first doses,” Diaz Ocampo said. “Knowing that allows us to schedule those patients earlier in the day so they can complete treatment safely and during clinic hours.” She also considered patients who require ultrasound-guided IV access, a skill performed by only a limited number of nurses, and those who rely on public transportation.
While the full-time nurse care coordinator position awaits system approval, Diaz Ocampo trained a small group of infusion clinic nurses to begin this work through dedicated administrative days. During those days, nurses step away from direct patient care to review charts and coordinate with providers, pharmacy and front-desk staff. This allows nursing judgment to guide preparation rather than reacting to problems once the day is underway.
One early patient-facing result of Diaz Ocampo’s work was the development of the cancer center infusion welcome letter for first-time patients, available in both English and Spanish. The letter helps set expectations and reduce anxiety, reflecting the broader goal of the nurse care coordinator role: ensuring patients feel informed and supported before they ever sit in the infusion chair.
The impact of the nurse-led coordination approach has been measurable. Since implementing the care coordinator practices and welcome letter, the infusion clinic has seen a 175% increase in identifying inappropriately scheduled patients, a 53% reduction in missed lab appointments, and a 91% reduction in incorrect appointment notes and visit types. These improvements have reduced day-of disruptions and allowed staff to spend more time focused on patient care rather than troubleshooting preventable issues.
“From our front desk and pharmacy staff to our clinical nurses, this role is essential to our team,” Diaz Ocampo said. “I had a provider I’d never met thank me for helping streamline how we work together. Knowing this benefits patients and the entire care team has been incredibly meaningful.”
Through anticipation, communication and shared responsibility, Diaz Ocampo’s work demonstrates how coordination becomes care. When patients feel prepared, supported and considered as whole people, treatment days become moments of partnership rather than uncertainty.
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