• Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPAs) are independent and work only for you. We remain autonomous and patient-focused even when a ‘guarantor,’ such as a loved one, friend, or employer, pays for advocacy services. Some advocates work in  hospitals and insurance companies. These ‘corporate advocates’ work for their corporate employers and are beholden to them. These advocates are employees beholden to their employers. They focus on reducing corporate costs, not what’s best for you.

The state of healthcare:
The ‘system’ is so difficult to navigate many people, even when not ill or overwhelmed, cannot get the care and attention they need. People may get unwanted/unneeded care which can delay or even prevent a proper diagnosis. Many surgeons spend more time obtaining insurance approvals than performing actual surgery.

Intelligent people who easily research schools, property, cars, electronics, investments, or services quickly get frustrated when researching the best doctors; all they find is marketing material. Empirical data is not available to the public. But finding and working with the best can mean the difference between life and death.

Healthcare workers suffer from burnout and fatigue, contributing to suboptimal care, especially in settings with low resources and high patient turnover. These create more situations where people can benefit from working with a care manager, medical navigator, health advocate, care planner, or whatever else one calls a patient advocate.

A second set of supportive ears:
Some clichés are real. Doctors say things, and we tune out, never hearing anything after ‘you need surgery.’ An experienced advocate documents the appointment, asks questions you haven’t thought of, and makes tit more thorough, accurate, and beneficial. 

Caregiver shortages:
Most patient care in hospitals comes from nurses. The estimated nursing shortage in the U.S. is between 200,000 and 450,000. All care providers have less time per patient than ever.

The American Medical Association estimates a deficit of over 150,000 surgeon specialists and primary care physicians. Therefore, the bar for care excellence can be low. These facts remain regardless of your gender, insurance coverage, or wealth. With such drastic shortages, how will you find the best caregivers and the treatment you need? For many, the answer is A Patient Advocate.

Medical Errors:
During provider shortages, medical errors increase, and obtaining proper care becomes more challenging. The statistics related to medical errors is shocking. Most medical errors are preventable, and advocates specialize in reducing them.

Relocation and the schedules of loved ones:
Even when immediate family live nearby and are capable and want to help, their work, child care schedules, and required sleep can interfere with their ability to help loved ones when needed. A knowledgeable patient advocate can help support patients and those who love them by assisting them with shared decision-making, attending doctor’s appointments, and sitting bedside at the hospital.

Sometimes you can advocate for yourself or a loved one, and I encourage everyone to learn the processes. However, to advocate well requires unique skill sets, temperament, and knowledge. Making sound decisions can be challenging when hospitalized or dealing with serious medical issues. Fighting for a loved one to get a test or treatment approved can be daunting to the uninitiated. Discharges, transitions from facility to facility, and facility to home are where many problems occur. No matter how available and willing a loved one might be, they cannot always be there for the patient. It’s also tricky to recognize the most critical times to be there. An advocate can provide support when needed, demand clarity, and reduce the odds of medical errors occurring. 

Everyone can use help identifying and selecting better caregivers, but the process is frustrating. People comfortable doing other types of research become frustrated by the lack of data on a surgeon’s skill and patient outcomes. Subsequently, they make decisions based on irrelevant information such as “She seems so nice!’, “He spent so much time with me.” or, “Bob said she was a good surgeon.” Too often, people choose the first surgeon that tells them they need an operation without exploring their options.

Most advocates are former clinicians, medical administrators, and social workers. My experience is in the operating room. I trained surgeons to use specialty medical devices in hip, knee, spine, trauma, and laparoscopic/robotic surgeries. Virtually all advocates experienced shock and frustration with ‘the system.’ Concern about patient care, billing, miscommunication, and medical errors made many of us become advocates. Most started helping family and friends, who then referred colleagues, friends of friends, and neighbors. While seeking to learn, collaborate, and become better advocates, many became Board-Certified Patient Advocates (BCPAs), as I have. Passing the Board requires a broad knowledge of the U.S. medical system, ethics, and advocacy.

While I believe everyone, at some point, can benefit from the services of a patient advocate, insurers do not reimburse for the expense. Further, it would be a conflict for an independent advocate to be paid by an insurance company since advocates often challenge insurance companies’ decisions regarding coverage, make appeals, and fight insurers on behalf of their clients.

Both. I can meet clients anywhere but charge for travel time and expenses beyond 30 minutes from my Northern California base. Therefore, remote meetings, even doctor appointments, can be practical and more cost-efficient.

Your advocacy is just that, ‘yours,’ and services are fully customizable to suit you. They can consist of a single strategizing session, exploring multiple doctors’ opinions, and discovering available treatment options. I can be retained to address ongoing and future medical needs. I can design a package to help you find, analyze, and choose better caregivers, inspect billing discrepancies, and attend doctor appointments for you to gain clarity on complex diagnoses and treatment options. Schedule a free 20-minute appointment to see if we’re a good fit and to learn if independent patient advocacy is right for you.

Some employers offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) as part of their benefits package. These employers recognize that the services of an advocate can get their valuable employees healthy, productive, and back to work sooner.

My clients come from various backgrounds, from financially secure families to those less fortunate whom I assist on a sliding scale or pro bono basis as my schedule allows. I’ve navigated healthcare for families across the country, from retired teachers to professional athletes and retired physicians.