Bridging the gap between Hospital and Home

Founded in 2018, The Health Navigator Foundation supports patients facing the need for complex life saving surgeries.  We provide the essential resources of housing, food, parking and gas during the critical transition from hospital discharge to recovery.

We believe that providing equitable access to resources allows everyone to achieve optimal health outcomes. By addressing social determinants of health, we empower recipients of navigation services on their path to recovery and healing.

Our Leadership Team (L-R): Sir John Mactaggart (Founder & Board Member), Lady Helena Mactaggart (Founder & Board Member), Nina Winterstein, LCSW (Program Director), Krista Ramonas, M.D. (Founder & Medical Director), Not pictured: Deb Frederick Franzon, M.D. (Clinical Research Director).

“Thank you everyone for all your help. You saved my life and I’m forever grateful.”
“I couldn’t have done it without the services you provided.”
“So thankful for the second chance at life and the amazing people who made it happen and have supported me throughout.”
“This has been live saving. I don't know what we would have done without all the help.”
“We couldn’t have been able to get through this without your support and help.”

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Patient Stories

Learn about their experiences partnering with the Health Navigator Foundation.

Since 2018, Health Navigator Foundation...

March 26, 2024:

Empowering organ transplant recipients: The Health Navigator Foundation’s mission

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What We Do

We are there to help navigate you through your recovery post-transplant or LVAD following your discharge from the hospital or rehabilitation facility.

  • Our team understands the nuances of clinic days and is available to navigate you and your caregiver during procedures, laboratories, and clinic appointments.
  • We know your clinic schedule can be complex and overwhelming, and our goal is to help you and your caregiver feel confident in navigating your medical follow-up.
  • You may have had to relocate temporarily following your transplant, and navigating the local community may be overwhelming and a source of stress. We are here to help guide you so you can focus on your recovery.
  • We also maintain constant communication with your medical care team to help bridge any gaps.

For individuals with qualifying income levels, we provide essential resources to allow those facing life-saving surgeries and their caregivers to focus on their recovery rather than worrying about ancillary costs of their illness. Patients with qualifying income levels are additionally offered basic resources including:

  • Food/meal support
  • Parking vouchers
  • Gas cards and/or Lyft rides
  • Short-term lodging
  • Caregivers

Dealing with organ failure can be daunting and filled with uncertainty. We have found that individuals and caregivers in this position benefit greatly from speaking to someone who has been through the process of organ transplant or advanced therapies and can describe their first-hand unique experience.

Our peer mentors are in the unique position to provide feedback and encouragement because of their experience.

The Peer Mentor Program consists of Transplant and LVAD recipients and their caregivers who have completed training to mentor patients and their caregivers going through the process. Peer Mentor roles include:

  • Sharing their personal experience with the process
  • Explaining their recovery and life after the transplant procedure
  • Offering reassurance, emotional and educational support and non-medical guidance

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We understand the immense burden caregivers can face during the often overwhelming and stressful journey of transplant and recovery. The responsibility of caring for a patient can be demanding, affecting caregivers physically, mentally, socially, and financially. Recognizing this, monitoring the well-being of caregivers is a vital part of our role.

To address these challenges, we run a monthly caregiver support group that provides an essential layer of support, allowing caregivers to share their experiences and find community among those who understand their struggles. Additionally, we offer caregiver peer mentors who can connect on a one-on-one basis, providing tailored support that meets individual needs. This combination of group and personalized support ensures that caregivers receive help and feel valued and understood in their critical role.

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Who We Are

KRISTA RAMONAS, M.D.

Founder & Medical Director

Dr. Ramonas is a medical doctor who has been in practice in San Francisco for over twenty years. She is passionate about providing equitable access to healthcare for all in the Bay Area and beyond. She is Board certified in Ophthalmology, Ocular Oncology, and Longevity Medicine. She founded the Health Navigator Foundation in 2018 to focus on providing essential resources to patients in the critical discharge period following complex surgical intervention.

DEBORAH FRANZON, M.D.

Director of Clinical Research

Deb Franzon MD is a board certified Pediatrician who works at UCSF Benioff Childrens Hopsitals as the Executive Medical Director of Quality and Safety.  She has a masters from UCLA school of Public Health and is a vocal advocate for the underserved and under-represented patients who are often marginalized in our health care system . Her passion is health equity and addressing critical social determinants of health.

NINA WINTERSTEIN, LCSW

Program Director

Nina holds undergraduate and master’s degrees from UC Berkeley and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She began her social work career in 2014 and has worked with transplant and LVAD patients since 2019. Nina is dedicated to helping patients and caregivers feel supported, informed, and connected throughout their recovery journey. She is continually inspired by the resilience of the individuals she serves and believes in the power of peer support to foster understanding, encouragement, and community through HNF’s mentor program and monthly support groups.

Sir John Mactaggart & Lady Helena Mactaggart

Founders & Board Members

Sir John and Lady Helena Mactaggart founded the Health Navigator Foundation following John’s heart and kidney transplant at CPMC in 2018. Inspired by their firsthand experience navigating the transplant journey, they established HNF to ensure patients and caregivers have access to the support, resources, and guidance needed to thrive before, during, and after transplantation.

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