Maria Combs JD, OPN-CG

Maria Alejandra Combs has served as the Hispanic Patient Navigator at the Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center since the fall of 2015. Maria was the first multi- disease, non-clinical patient navigator of the institution and is dedicated to addressing cancer disparities among Hispanic patients with cancer. Today, she serves as the Navigator-Lead of the Population Health Navigation Program of the Office of Cancer Health Equity, which has expanded to include Rural and African American patients. With five years of experience in patient navigation, Maria initially obtained her training through the Harold P. Freeman Patient Navigation Institute followed by national accreditation from the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators as an Oncology Patient Navigator-Certified Generalist. Originally from Venezuela, her background in law allowed her to continue her advocacy work in United States advocating for the social needs and health care rights of her oncology patients through navigation services to help ensure timely and quality cancer care.