Filling the Gap Changes Everything for Your Patient

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(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

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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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What Does It Take to Be an Overnight Success?

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If 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. Hear me out… 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 …

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Obamacare Seeks Navigators – Is There a Role for You?

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It 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:

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

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The 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 …

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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 …

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Imagine a Friend’s Night Out and Dial-a-Mentor All Rolled Into One

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You’ve run into a hurdle with your advocacy work. Maybe your client has a challenge you can’t seem to solve for him, or the hospital is standing between you and your client’s medical records…. Or maybe you are just stuck for a good marketing idea, and you know you’ve got an opportunity, you just can’t get your arms around it…. Maybe you have a special interest topic in advocacy, like mental health, or legal mediation, or insurance claims or…. yes, I could go on and on. You need resources – but where can you go to find the help you …

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