Guardian Nurses is a healthcare advocacy company that started in 2001. Their nurses help patients navigate the healthcare system by visiting patients in hospitals, at appointments, or in their homes and providing support and expertise. Currently, three of Guardian Nurses staff work directly with our members through the mobile care coordinator program and the retiree program: Nurse Samantha Salerno, Nurse Jennifer Kenny, and Nurse Christina McCarrick.
Mobile Care Coordinators provide care management and care coordination over the phone and in person. Nurse Salerno, Guardian Nurses’ acute nurse, meets with members in the hospital and assists with acute healthcare issues like surgeries, hospitalizations, and new diagnoses. Nurse McCarrick assists members with complex health needs like diabetes, heart disease, and lung issues. Nurse Kenny works specifically with Local 19’s retiree population to address their unique needs.
Mobile Care Coordinators provide a variety of services. They meet with patients at doctors’ appointments, visit them in hospitals, and advocate on their behalf by asking questions patients might not know to ask, assisting them with securing better quality care, and even hospital transfers if needed. They also provide at-home follow-up, ensuring patient safety and coordinated care. They can use their expertise and connections in the medical system to speed up appointment wait time for specialists, access paperwork and medical records, and do a lot of behind-the-scenes work to help keep our members healthy and provide the best care possible.
The services Guardian Nurses provide help our members navigate a very complicated healthcare system, improving their healthcare experience and outcomes. This benefit is free to members and is confidential. Members can access these benefits by visiting SMARTLU19.org/Benefits or visiting the Guardian Nurses’ website at GuardianNurses.com. Active members can also reach them by phone at 484-800-5626 or 484-800-2932, and retirees can call 484-635-4754.
