Willie Banks-Jones, LVN

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Office Location

5005 S Cooper St. Suite 250, Arlington, TX 76017

Phone Number

As a young girl, Willie Banks-Jones admits she had a serious case of hero worship. “My mom was a nurse, and I went to the hospital with her quite often. I was only eight years old, but I got to see first-hand how she helped people—the impact she had on her patient’s lives. I thought, ‘That’s pretty important. She’s a big deal.’ I made up my mind early on that’s what I want to do.”

Following in her mother’s footsteps, Banks-Jones enjoyed a long and rewarding career as a pediatric nurse until her sister inspired her to make a change. “My sister has worked with many of the physicians at Urology Partners for a long time now—even before they started this practice. She has always told me how great the doctors are.”

Today, Banks-Jones works closely with Dr. Clifton Vestal, Dr. Zachary Compton and Dr. Adam Hollander, champions of Urology Partners’ Advanced Prostate Cancer Program. As the prostate cancer patient navigator, she helps men understand that a prostate cancer diagnosis isn’t necessarily a death sentence.

“There are so many good, life-extending advances in medicine right now that are far beyond what they may have imagined,” Banks-Jones explains. “As Dr. Vestal tells so many of his advance prostate cancer patients: ‘Don’t sell the farm just yet because you have years to go, and I’m going to help you enjoy them.’”

Making the treatment process as seamless as possible for each patient is Banks-Jones’ goal.

“I go in with the physicians during patient appointments. I take notes on each man’s treatment plan and next steps. I verify appointments and confirm prescriptions and pharmacy information for them. I take their calls when they have questions about their treatment, side effects they may experience, or are unsure about something.

“I’m their person. Patients have my number, so they can call me directly. I’m there immediately to answer their questions, assist them any way I can, and put them in contact with their doctor, if needed. More than anything, I want to take some of the burden off these men.”

One of the biggest burdens many prostate cancer patients face is the concern over their medication costs.

“We don’t’ want the cost of the medication or the cost of their care to be financially toxic for our patients,” Banks-Jones adds. “If you have prostate cancer, you don’t need to be worried about whether you can afford the medicine you need. We try to take that concern off the table by signing up for grants and other funding options to offset the cost. When we can remove that worry, men are able to focus on their treatment plan and the other things their doctor tells them to do to stay healthy.”

Banks-Jones finds her role as patient navigator extremely rewarding—and very personal.

“I have a lot of siblings—including 11 brothers—so this information is very important to me,” she reveals. “The likelihood of one of my brothers being diagnosed with prostate cancer is very high. I want to be able to provide them with as much information as I possibly can.”

When she isn’t caring for her patients, the Tyler native enjoys relaxing with her husband at some of their favorite East Texas fishing holes.

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