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Hidden Agendas and Being Used

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Years ago, in my salad days, I took a new marketing job after being interviewed by a gentleman who seemed as nice as anyone I had ever met in a workplace. It didn’t take me long to learn my new boss’s friendly smile, and the words that came out of his mouth, only masked a hidden agenda that he hoped naive-me would help him fulfill. The first clue that things were not as they seemed came when I was asked to sign off on some media invoices, in effect, giving Accounts Payable my approval to pay the agency that had […]

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RIP Ramona – With Appreciation for The Lessons She Taught Us

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Ramona – whose real name was Rosemary – has died. She did it (mostly) her way. I first shared Ramona/Rosemary’s story with you a few months ago. She had contacted me through my patient empowerment work asking me to help her die. After a heinous surgical medical error many years ago, she could no longer be treated to provide (by her own definition) any quality to her life. So she wanted to put an end to her misery. Her primary care doctor, fearful he would be arrested, refused to help her. After thinking about it long and hard, I decided

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Is Grampa Packin’ Heat? And Other Safety Considerations for Advocates

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Sometimes a conversation gets started in our APHA Forum that brings me up short. (One reason I SO love the Forum!) One of those conversations was kicked off this week by a member who posed a question: are other members asking potential new clients whether they have guns in their homes? I’m not a gun person, and I live in an area where we just don’t think about guns much, so I really didn’t understand the question at first…. until others chimed in. It’s about safety – which, of course, makes perfect sense. Many members followed up Marie’s question with

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And a Great Time, and Some Great Learning, Was Had by All

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My head is still spinning from our Business and Marketing Workshop Experience in Chicago over the weekend. While I’ve already told you how United Airlines tried to ruin the experience for me, I don’t want that to overshadow the real outcome of the weekend; that is, that about 25 of us got together for 1-1/2 days of EXCELLENCE. My measurement of EXCELLENCE comes from attendee comments, but even more so from the things I learned along the way, too. It’s the interaction, the connections, and the shared learning that comprise my definition of excellence. Observations and comments:

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The Tragedies That Keep Me Up at Night

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The collision of my two professional worlds is keeping me up at night. It provides a cautionary tale for private, independent patient advocates. Not all readers of this blog know that I have my feet planted in two parts of this patient-assistance world. My first foray into healthcare started in 2004 with a horrific misdiagnosis which resulted in a change of careers (from being a marketing consultant) to becoming an expert in patient empowerment. By 2005 I had started writing on patient empowerment topics. Then in 2006, I began doing a great deal of public speaking across the US –

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

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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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Bring It On! Forum Fireworks Erupt Again

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One of the most valuable resources any profession has is access to other people who are also invested in the interests of that profession. The internet and social media, of course, provide an opportunity to access this valuable resource on a global scale. … Which means that participants, including professionals and the people who are striving to join their professional ranks, come from a variety of backgrounds and attitudes, environments, personalities and life views. Now, mix that together with a specific profession – patient advocacy – where its proponents are highly passionate about their work. Add a dash of mixed

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