(KRON) -- For the past 20 years at Sutter Health CPMC in San Francisco, women diagnosed with breast cancer have had some extra help navigating the next steps. The Notkin Family Breast Cancer Recovery Program is not only free for patients during treatments, it offers help to their families too.  Since 2004, Shelby and Michelle Notkin have worked to create the program that honors their wife and mom Melinda after she died of a rare form of breast cancer a few years prior.  Shelby describes the program as a concierge service, where as soon as a patient is scheduled for a biopsy, they're also scheduled to speak with an oncology nurse who helps them to navigate the next steps.  Fleet Week SF 2024 schedule, events what you need to know "The spectrum of information that unfortunately a lot of doctors' offices don't have the time to do this day and age, the nurse navigator can take that time to help the patient," said Michelle Notkin.  Julie Day felt a lump about six months after her last mammogram and was diagnosed with breast cancer last summer. She says she can't imagine going through the process without her nurse navigator.  "She told me what kind of cancer I had and on our first call she said, 'the kind you have is beatable.' And that became my mantra when I was up at night with so many other thoughts in my head, I just kept remembering her saying the kind I have is beatable," said Day.  Just as early detection is key for chances of survival, early assistance is key for the Notkin Program. The program begins when a patient needs a biopsy. According to Michelle, this type of assistance is not the standard of care, and if there is something like this offered, it usually doesn't kick in until after a diagnosis.  The program has helped navigate some 30,000 patients over the last 20 years. Statistically, 20% of patients who go in for a biopsy end up having a malignant tumor. The program at Sutter Health CPMC helps guide those patients all the way through survivorship.  "Not only are you getting your doctor here, you're getting a nutritionist, psychological support, wigs, bras all of that is one place and it's free to the patient and it's coordinated," explained Sutter Health Breast Surgeon Dr. Anne Peled.  ‘Dayo’ the therapy dog is semi-finalist for American Humane Award Dr. Peled says by the time patients get to her, they're already very well informed about the process which makes it a little less scary.  "Cancer is incredibly disruptive, as a survivor myself I know it's so much to think about, so the ability to have the patients feel so taken care of is so key," said Dr. Peled.  "We were able to talk to our kids within 48 hours of a diagnosis because I had all the resources I needed to answer the questions that kids their age would likely ask," explained Day. Day's cancer was in fact beatable, there was no cancer detected at her recent appointment. She is remaining optimistic and says she's grateful for the gift of guidance she received along the way.  "My new mantra is life is long, and I'm going to do all the things," said Day.  As for the Notkin family, they've lost three family members to breast cancer over the years. Another is going through treatment now. They're hoping to continue expanding their services to one day offer free genetic testing to family members of those diagnosed.