straightjacket

Insanity Is Repeating the Same Behavior…

… and expecting different results. It’s a favorite saying of mine, which I used to have posted just above my desk as a reminder that if I wanted to improve my work (or my life!) then I needed to take a fresh look at what I was doing and make adjustments. It’s a similar sentiment …

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pushback

Pushing Back

I truly dislike negativity.  I suspect you do, too. As a kid, I would avoid arguments like the plague.  I hated the upset that went along with it – that feeling of frustration, and churning in my stomach.  Ugh. As I got older, I realized that negativity was always going to be a part of …

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gap

Filling the Gap Changes Everything for Your Patient

In the category of “life imitates career”…. In 8+ years of blogging, and with the exception of the personal experience that was the impetus for my career as Every Patient’s Advocate, (later the founder of AdvoConnection and the Alliance of Professional Health Advocates), I have rarely (if ever?) shared my personal medical experiences.  Truth is, …

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Soldiers march in formation

The VITAL Piece of Information the Press – and Many Patients AND Advocates – Are Missing

It happened one more time this week, frustrating me one more time this week, making me feel like a broken record again this week and then realizing…. hey!  Why not make this point louder and clearer enough so that YOU can all be a part of my “point well spoken” army! What am I talking …

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Insanity Is Repeating the Same Behavior…Pushing BackFilling the Gap Changes Everything for Your PatientThe VITAL Piece of Information the Press – and Many Patients AND Advocates – Are Missing

May 19

Insanity Is Repeating the Same Behavior…

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straightjacket… and expecting different results.

It’s a favorite saying of mine, which I used to have posted just above my desk as a reminder that if I wanted to improve my work (or my life!) then I needed to take a fresh look at what I was doing and make adjustments.

It’s a similar sentiment to another favorite saying of mine which is:

If you always do what you’ve always done, then you’ll always get what you’ve always got.

Both these sayings came to mind this week as I responded to several advocates and almost-advocates about challenges they were having.  A sampler:

  1. One APHA member contacted me because – once again – she had spent an hour on the phone with a potential client, only to have that person say, “Well, thank you. You’ve been a big help.  I’ll call you if I need you again.”  But – no contract. No paid work. Her question to me, “What am I doing wrong?”
  2. Another APHA member contacted me because he had been asked, yet again, to help a potential client with a service he didn’t offer.  He wanted to know what he was doing wrong. Should he go back to school?  Or was something wrong with his marketing? Read the rest of this entry »

May 12

Pushing Back

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pushbackI truly dislike negativity.  I suspect you do, too.

As a kid, I would avoid arguments like the plague.  I hated the upset that went along with it – that feeling of frustration, and churning in my stomach.  Ugh.

As I got older, I realized that negativity was always going to be a part of my life whether I liked it or not. Avoiding it was not an option, because avoiding it meant I wasn’t sticking up for myself or my loved ones or the tenets I believed in. Avoiding it meant I couldn’t right a wrong – or learn and understand other points of view.

And then, perhaps the realization we all arrive at eventually: that not all negativity is created equal.  There are degrees of problems and contention that arise in life, and therefore dealing with it also requires appropriate response.  From cocking one’s head, to a full-blown argument.  From a few choice words to a full blown lawsuit.  And everything in between.

Over time, I’ve found that my most successful tool for dealing with contention is, simply, a gentle push back.  This is true in both my personal life and in business. I think 99% of the contentious issues in my life have been solved more by a push back question or statement than they have by anything stronger than that…

And so, I always try the Push Back first – before I bring out the cannons.

Read the rest of this entry »

May 06

Filling the Gap Changes Everything for Your Patient

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gapIn the category of “life imitates career”….

In 8+ years of blogging, and with the exception of the personal experience that was the impetus for my career as Every Patient’s Advocate, (later the founder of AdvoConnection and the Alliance of Professional Health Advocates), I have rarely (if ever?) shared my personal medical experiences.  Truth is, until now, they have been, thankfully, quite boring and not worth writing about.

Yes, until now… because now, “the lump” has returned.

Lump #1, discovered, excised, misdiagnosed as cancer, yet never treated in 2004, is the personal experience I mentioned above. (If interested, here’s the entire story).  It was such a heinous and outrageous odyssey, it caused me to change careers to patient empowerment in an effort to do what I can to ensure that others would not suffer such a horrible experience.

Of note is that Lump #1 was never accurately diagnosed. So, to this day, I have no idea what caused that original lump.

And then…

Two weeks ago, a second lump appeared – 9 YEARS after the first one. Very odd.  So I’ve begun the journey to a diagnosis for this lump.

So far, with the exception of the lump’s location on my body, Lump #2 seems physically the same as Lump #1.  It’s about the same size (like a golf-ball), it’s the same hardness, by itself it does not hurt. As I go to the doctor, I would describe it exactly the same way as I described it those years ago.

But everything else – EVERY OTHER ASPECT OF THIS SECOND JOURNEY – is entirely different.

Why?

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Apr 28

The VITAL Piece of Information the Press – and Many Patients AND Advocates – Are Missing

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Soldiers march in formationIt happened one more time this week, frustrating me one more time this week, making me feel like a broken record again this week and then realizing…. hey!  Why not make this point louder and clearer enough so that YOU can all be a part of my “point well spoken” army!

What am I talking about?  The press – which has produced one more article this week about this “new career” of patient advocacy or navigation, making it sound like a grand dream come true for anyone who cares about helping patients.  None of these articles have been realistic about the realities of employment, or the lack of employment, and the conflicts of interest that arise through advocacy employment.

What happens next is the many dozens of email inquiries I begin to receive about GETTING A JOB as a patient advocate.

But I digress…

So before I begin – please understand that the point of this post is to enlist you in the army of advocates who are going to make this VERY IMPORTANT POINT (VIP!)   Please raise your right hand and swear that YOU will share this point with at least 10 other people this week …..

That is:

Read the rest of this entry »

Apr 21

What Does It Take to Be an Overnight Success?

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salesgrowthIf…

… I could wave a magic wand, and any potential private, independent patient advocate who reached out to me for support in getting his or her practice up, running and successful would be just that – an overnight success!

Well, OK.  Maybe not.

In the past few weeks, in my usual email or phone exchanges with dozens of patient advocates, there have been recurring themes.  See if any of these sound familiar:

  • Business is picking up, but I really could use more.
  • Business is slower than I would like.  I’m not sure how long I can stay afloat.
  • I can’t quit my job until I know I’ll have enough business to support myself.
  • I tried, but I don’t get enough phone calls so now I have to go find a job.

Then there are those who say nothing at all – who just, one day, decide they aren’t going to try any more because they believe success has eluded them; their expected flock of needy patients didn’t dial their phone numbers or sign contracts.

If one of these thoughts feels familiar, then this post is for you.

Read the rest of this entry »

Apr 07

Obamacare Seeks Navigators – Is There a Role for You?

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navigationIt seems that word is getting out about one of the aspects of the Affordable Care Act that hasn’t been highlighted much before now.  That is, the role of “navigators” and “in-person assisters” as they are called by the government.  Many of the folks who read this blog are interested in whether there is a role for them (especially whether they can make any money from such a role!)

The answer is – maybe – but probably not.  Because these “navigators” may not be what you think (or hope!) they are.

Here’s why:

Read the rest of this entry »

Mar 30

Profession – or Calling? What Do You Consider Your Advocacy Work?

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contemplateThe month of March 2013 brought me more opportunities than I remember in a long time to think about the reasons I do the work I do – why I have chosen my profession, what I hope to get out of it, and what drives me to want to build its success – and your success, too.

Why now?  Well, frankly, even though I am not Catholic, it started with the election of a new pope. Throughout the discussions leading up to the Conclave, then the election of Pope Francis, much of the emphasis was on the passion the job required; that it wasn’t just about being a leader, it was about heart and commitment. (And whether or not you care one wit about the election of this new pope, whether or not you agree with the tenets he stands for, it’s clear to see the man is a new kind of leader, and most definitely has passion and commitment.)

As the pioneers who have started a movement in patient or health advocacy, it’s the same for us. We are leaders.  We lead with our passion.  We are wholly committed to success – both the success our clients will find in their journeys, and the success we hope to find with our practices. The “passion” aspects are very different from most professions, and it’s what makes us unique. How many other professions are rooted in passion and heart?

Then Passover came along.

Read the rest of this entry »

Mar 24

Third Annual Private Professional Patient Advocates’ Recognition Shows How We Have Matured

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Week after week I hear from people who are just beginning to explore the idea of becoming a private health advocate.  They have just heard of the possibility, or they want to know if there really are people making a living as private advocates, or they wonder if someone like them (describe background here…) would make a good advocate….

I do love hearing from them. One of the joys of my life is encouraging them, assisting them, providing resources….

But perhaps the biggest joy I get from the various forms of patient empowerment and advocacy work I do is knowing that someone has succeeded – someone has actually made their success as an advocate happen.  I can’t begin to tell you how that makes my heart sing.

Why? 

Read the rest of this entry »

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