Trisha Torrey

Powerful, Useful, and Beneficial — From HBO’s Vice Media: Patient Advocates Can Save Your Money and Your Life

In April of this year, patient advocates convened in San Diego for the APHA Summits to mix and mingle, learn, and talk shop…

Joining us was the video crew from HBO’s Vice News, led by producer Amanda Pisetzner – a delightful group of young people, with so much talent and enthusiasm, asking great questions…

They worked in the background during our networking event, and separately they met with two of our advocates, AnnMarie McIlwain, and Karen Vogel, as they conducted their important work. The crew even met with client-patients who AnnMarie and Karen found were willing to discuss their own situations and results…

Bottom line – the most powerful public video we’ve seen, creating a very clear picture of the benefits of independent advocacy and why everyone needs an advocate.

We have arrived! (Note: if you attended the San Diego Summits – you might be in the video!)

I invite you to watch it – and then I’ll share a few steps you can take, too, not just to help boost your own practice, but perhaps to find yourself the featured advocate in a future media activity.

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JUL

advocacy business, advocacy ethics, advocate marketing, advocate marketing tools, AdvoConnection Directory, client services, decision making, health advocates and navigators, media, patient advocacy

Help Us Assess the LoveFest!

Posted by: Trisha Torrey

Once upon a time, the word “advocate” was contentious: doctors didn’t want us in the room, nurses didn’t want us next to a hospital bed, and health insurers thought we patient advocates were nothing but troublemakers.

But in recent years there seems to have been a major shift in attitudes. I’m hoping you can help us assess that.

This point came up in several recent conversations with people who have been doing advocacy work for many years; who have been able to observe attitudes for quite awhile, and who tell me they have seen this shift with their own eyes.

The shift? From wary standoffishness – to a lovefest!

As follows:

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JUL

allegiance, caregivers, client services, common sense, health advocates and navigators, hospital patient advocates, patient advocacy, patient safety, patients

To Gain a New Client, You’ll Have to Break 2 Bad Habits

Posted by: Trisha Torrey

The phone rings. It’s a new, potential client calling. You answer, “This is Joan Advocate. May I help you?”

The client, Juanita, is relieved to hear your friendly voice. She launches into her story about the doctor not listening to her, and that she can’t fill her prescription because it’s too expensive. Then she asks if you can help her.

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JUN

advocacy business, advocate best practices, advocate finances, client services, common sense, money, patient advocacy

The Sinkhole

Posted by: Trisha Torrey

Regular readers of this blog know a couple of things about me.

For one thing, they know I live in Florida, having moved here from Upstate NY two years ago, no longer willing to freeze my cabungus off during the winter. (Or, as my husband phrases it, “you don’t have to shovel 90 degrees!”)

They also know many of my blog posts are metaphorical, based on inspiration I get from my daily life which at times is well, yes, pretty darn metaphorical!

And thus we set the stage for today’s post – The Sinkhole. Pure Florida. Pure Metaphor. See what you think.

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JUN

advocacy business, advocacy certification, advocate best practices, advocate finances, common sense, decision making, money, patient advocacy

B*tching and Moaning – Therapeutic and Educational

Posted by: Trisha Torrey

It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s always an eyeopener and usually quite unsettling.

When done well, and handled well, it can turn out to be therapeutic, and has the potential for great opportunity.

I’m talking about moaning, groaning, complaining and yes – b*tching. Whether it’s a client complaining about an advocate, or the other way around, sometimes it’s fair and understandable, sometimes not. Sometimes it can escalate. Other times it can be diffused.

In all cases we can learn from complaints. So let’s take a look.

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JUN

advocacy business, advocacy ethics, advocate best practices, advocate education, client services, common sense, decision making, health advocates and navigators, patient advocacy, patients

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