A cancer diagnosis evokes a wide range of devastating emotions, including sadness, loss, worry, despair, and confusion. For Medibank customers in this situation, they’re able to speak to cancer care specialist Margaret Eagles – part of the Medibank Health Concierge team – whose role is to educate and support those impacted by the serious illness.
“We contact Medibank customers who have been diagnosed with breast or prostate cancer and offer them resources or health information that may be of assistance to them,” Margaret says.
“As an example, I might speak to a woman who has been diagnosed with cancer and has young children. I would chat with her and send information about organisations and foundations who specifically help children who have a parent battling cancer.”
Margaret says the information she provides has been checked by Medibank’s clinical team.
“Medibank has produced booklets of information about breast and prostate cancer, which we send out to customers,” she says.
“These have all been reviewed because the last thing we want is customers self-diagnosing themselves through the internet or untrustworthy sources.”
Margaret says informing customers about what they’re dealing with empowers them to make the right decisions for themselves.
“What we’re trying to do is ensure customers have a solid understanding of the type of cancer they have so when it comes to making medical decisions, they’re able to do so with knowledge.”
Margaret (front row, third from right) with her Health Concierge team.
She says having an understanding of what they’re going through changes everything. The information and support Health Concierge Specialists provide, can help customers and their families go through the journey together.
“I’ve had people saying they’ve used the booklets to start conversations about their diagnosis with their families,” Margaret says.
“To be honest, most of the time customers are just grateful someone is ringing them out of the blue to offer assistance.”
With her nursing background and now part of the Health Concierge team, Margaret’s says her career is incredibly fulfilling – helping and caring for those who need it most.
“The most rewarding part of my role is giving someone information they weren’t expecting. Having been a nurse for so long, doing my best to make an impact is just me, I suppose,”
“I love being a part of Medibank’s Health Concierge team. I wanted to move away from the more clinical part of nursing, but I’m still in a role where I’m helping someone. And I’m still making a connection.”
Medibank’s Health Concierge reaches out to customers and assists them through their health journey, changing people’s perspective of what a health fund is.
“We’re modernising and updating what people think of private health insurers. It’s natural for customers to think they pay for insurance and when they get sick, they receive money back,” she says.
“Medibank is changing this, we’re being proactive. We’re a healthcare company.”
Margaret believes she and her team are making a difference through conversations they’re having with customers.
“Knowledge is power. For some people, that makes all the difference.”