While many independent advocates and care managers spent their holiday time either celebrating, spending time with their families, and/or putting out fires for clients… I’ve been right here at my desk during the holidays, preparing for THE LAUNCH.
It’s been SUCH a long time coming…many years, really. Certainly not because the will wasn’t there, nor because the technology wasn’t available.
I plead only the lack of enough hours in my days along with a few conflicting priorities (like completing the launch of patient advocate certification, and rebuilding the AdvoConnection profiles site, and moving 1200 miles!). Those aren’t excuses. They were realities.
But now these new efforts have (finally!) moved to the TOP of my to-do list… all to the benefit of advocates and care managers who want to improve their knowledge and skills in the many areas of building successful practices…
So what required so much effort?
Introducing PracticeUP! Online
Online learning opportunities for you!
In all these years of working with advocates, one consistent message has come through loud and clear. Many advocates want access to online learning because:
- Online courses are quick
- Online courses can be inexpensive
- Online courses are ready when you are
- Online courses are a la carte – one skill or piece of information at a time
- Online courses can be revisited as necessary
- Online courses don’t require expensive travel…
Voila! PracticeUPOnline.com
The site consists of two main sections:
1. Courses
Over time, dozens (hundreds?) of courses will become available, taught by advocacy and care management’s best and brightest teachers.
At the launch, later this month (January 2019), several free, sample courses will become available to everyone including
- Is Certification Right for You?
- Best Practices for Naming Your Advocacy or Care Management Practice
- Understanding the Allegiance Factor
… plus other courses to be launched within the next few weeks including our first “big” course about the basics of client acquisition and marketing.
You’re invited to submit ideas for courses, too. We hope you will!
2. Trisha’s TIPS
Trisha – that’s me 🙂 . I’m the author of this blog, the founder of The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates, the author of six books for advocates, care managers, and patients, and yes, the developer of PracticeUP! I’ve been helping small businesses start and grow for decades. My efforts shifted to assisting advocates and care managers who wanted to start and grow independent practices after my own run-in with the healthcare system in 2004. In all these years, I’ve been jotting down challenges – and quick ways to fix them to share with you all. (OK, true confessions… they were going to be another book originally. But now, adding them as a core service through PracticeUP! makes more sense.)
TIPS = Tactics for Improved Practice Success. Bite-sized, down ‘n dirty, easy tips will help you improve your ability to acquire new clients, manage your time, make more money, and more. They are delivered to your inbox 1-2 times per week. Or, like potato chips, you can find them online and I’ll bet you can’t read just one.
Who can participate in Practice UP! ?
Anyone! Anyone who is interested may take any of the free sample courses being offered, or may take the more comprehensive, paid courses available. You don’t have to be a member, nor do you make any commitment to any organization beyond just the PracticeUP! site itself.
This includes YOU!
How does PracticeUP! relate to The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates (APHA)?
Yes, afterall, this is the APHA Blog, right? So why announce a whole new site?
APHA and PracticeUP! are sister sites. Both are developed under the umbrella of DiagKNOWsis Media. Both are specifically designed with health / patient advocates and care managers in mind.
But they have different purposes with different approaches, and to maximize the reach of both, it made more sense to make them separate properties.
Separate – but certainly complementary and collaborative. In fact APHA members will find huge advantages and benefits. Not only will APHA members have access to many courses for free (yes, even those with a cost associated), they will find discounts on those that are not free. (Here is an overview of all APHA pricing.)
There’s lots more to know about PracticeUP! Online, much of which is answered on the site’s Frequently Asked Questions page.
The biggest thing to know for the moment is online learning for advocates and care managers has a new home at PracticeUP! And like you, we can’t wait to see how it improves the learning landscape for independent advocates and care managers.
Take your spin around! We hope to see you at PracticeUP! Online.
MASTER LIST OF PRACTICE RESOURCES |LEARN ABOUT APHA MEMBERSHIP | IMPROVE YOUR PRACTICE
Can’t wait!