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Survey Says! The Results Are In

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We privately paid, independent, professional patient advocates “tend to be older, white, female, more highly educated, and have other medical training or past careers in related professions.” …. or at least that is one conclusion drawn by the surveyors — those who built, issued and analyzed the first National Health and Patient Advocate Survey.* Both private, self-employed advocates, and employed advocates (hospitals, insurers, employers), were surveyed. Whether or not you were one of the folks who took the survey, if you have any interest in patient or health advocacy as a profession, you’ll be interested in the results. They were …

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These 8 Yard Sale Lessons May Improve Your Advocacy Practice

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We’ve made the decision. We’re leaving the cold Northeastern winters behind, and in just a few weeks my husband and I will be moving south. We’ve sold our home in Upstate NY. We’ve purchased a home in Florida. We’ve planned the details for the actual move itself… The continuing challenge is one that will sound familiar to many of you. We have way too much stuff! We were newlyweds when we moved into our current home in 2007. We jammed two entire households worth of stuff into this home – most of it was simply moved to the basement. Then …

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Fool Me Once, Shame on You, But Fool Me Twice….

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From bold-faced lies to misrepresentation – facts that aren’t facts, withholding information, skirting the code of ethics, and shades of truth – honesty and the advocacy business have been on my mind. This topic was actually triggered by something that has nothing to do with advocacy at all, something that seems relatively innocuous, but then, maybe not-so-innocuous at all: the purchase of a 5-lb bag of sugar to bake holiday cookies last December. Now a 5-lb bag of sugar has always been a 5-lb bag of sugar and has yielded a certain number of batches of cookies. I’ve been buying …

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Revisiting the Case of Farid Fata – Why Patient Advocates Must Take Notice

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In July 2015, we took a look at the case of Farid Fata, the Michigan oncologist who is now in prison on fraud charges because he diagnosed and treated more than 500 people for cancer they didn’t have, many of whom died. Yes – you read that right. You read the part about treating more than 500 people for cancer they didn’t have. And, I hope you caught the part that he is in prison on FRAUD charges – not murder, not manslaughter – nothing that recognizes the horrible physical condition he left those patients in after aggressive chemo and …

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8 End-of-the-Year Tasks for Smart Care Professionals

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You may be in the process of making up your holiday shopping and to-do lists… So while you are at it, here’s another important list to make – this one for your advocacy practice. When if you complete these tasks before December 31, you’ll set the stage for an even better business year in 2016! Included on your list should be tasks that address money, marketing, taxes and legal matters, plus others you think of that will help you grow, prosper, and support your patient-clients who so desperately need your skills. Here are some ideas to get you started on …

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Why I Hope These Pigs Never Fly – and You Should, Too

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This is the question that has plagued me as the director of a professional patient advocacy organization since it was first launched. It’s a question that usually comes from someone who is just thinking about becoming a patient advocate, one who hasn’t yet gotten his or her feet wet in our growing puddle of advocacy, ethics and best practices, although sometimes it comes from a more seasoned, yet not-yet-financially solvent advocate. It is asked in a hopeful manner, as if it is the answer to prayers – or at least payment. It’s at the very least naive, and at the …

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The Advice That May Tick You Off

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In 2012, I blogged about this very topic. One ticked-off reader then attacked me on Twitter. A day later, both she and another member of The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates left the organization, both citing the post. Ouch. But it was good advice then, and it’s still good advice today. So at the risk of provoking additional readers, I’m going to wade into those waters again. Since most of us are self-employed, in the process of either starting or growing a professional practice, you’ll find that this advice will serve you very well, even if it IS maddening or …

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