advocate marketing tools

Don’t Kick Yourself Later! The Top 10 Reasons You Need to Attend the APHA Workshops

With only two weeks to go before our Alliance of Professional Health Advocates Business & Marketing workshops, we still have a few seats left! I know that in the past when I’ve been on the fence about whether to take a course or attend a seminar, I have too easily let them go by without taking action – missing out entirely – and then – ARGHGH! – I kick myself afterward. I do not want you to kick yourself afterward if you miss them! So here are your top 10 reasons to attend these workshops: 10. Because, no matter what …

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The Affordable Care Act / Obamacare Defines Perfect Roles for Private Professional Patient Advocates

The healthcare reform law called the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – or Obamacare if you prefer the moniker (preferences seem to run about 50/50) – is being implemented over time. Of course, as most of us realize, the major portion described as the individual mandate, kicks in January 1, 2014 – only a few months from now. No matter how you feel about the legislation for your personal situation, you owe it to yourself to become familiar with the aspects of the law that define excellent roles for health advocates, no matter what type of advocacy they practice – medical …

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Amy Vanderbilt, Emily Post, and My Mother Are Turning Over in Their Graves

Updated 8/2019* I suspect you were raised just like I was. As a polite young lady, one who knew and followed the rules of etiquette (a l those mavens of etiquette, Amy Vanderbilt and Emily Post), I was taught never to toot my own horn. Bragging about accomplishments just isn’t polite. Let someone else recognize your achievements, and if they mention them to you, just blush, and politely deflect. Do your best not to take credit, and certainly don’t make it sound like you’re proud of what you’ve done….as in “What, this old thing?…) (Unless, of course, you are male. …

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Playing Favorites

If you’re a parent, you know you’ve been asked this question: Which of your children is your favorite? Of course, there’s no way to answer that question! Because even if you have a favorite, you’d never fess up! As a parent, you do your utmost to be fair and equitable…. (We all know who our OWN parents’ favorite child is/was. My sister was my mother’s favorite. She was sweet, and quiet, and well behaved. And I was… well… not.) This week I was contacted with two different requests for referrals to APHA members, which means I am expected to pick …

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Going to Jail, Spinning Plates, Peace of Mind – and You

spinning plates

Suppose you are asleep one night, and the police break down your front door, yank you out of bed, arrest you, and take you off to jail…. What would you do? Who would you call? It doesn’t matter whether you are innocent or guilty – you have been blindsided by something unexpected, and now you have to deal with it by navigating a system you know nothing about…. I suspect you would call a lawyer to help you through it, right? A lawyer is the person who can at least provide the peace of mind that knowledge of the system …

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Filling the Gap Changes Everything for Your Patient

(Note: June 2016 – this post is now more than 3 years old. See an update below.) 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, 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 …

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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 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 …

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