patients – APHA Blog : The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates

Starting Out? Why a Non-Profit Practice Is NOT the Right Answer for You

This is a question – or a statement – I hear frequently from those who wish to be independent health or patient advocates who are considering which business formation they need to set up to be independent.*

After considerations of LLCs, or S-Corps or others, they tell me they want to establish a non-profit, then ask me if we offer resources to help them.

Fay is one such advocate wannabe. She asked, “Do you have any advice for establishing a non-profit or not-for-profit agency to help patients?”

Unfortunately, her question was being asked for the wrong reasons.

Why?

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18
MAR

advocacy business, advocate bad practices, advocate finances, client services, common sense, decision making, money, patient advocacy, patients, Start and Grow a Private Advocacy Practice

non-profit, not-for-profit

The Momma Test

Posted by: Trisha Torrey

Over the years, one of my favorite things to do has been to work with / speak to / address college students. They are young, aren’t yet set in their ways, still hope to save the world, are naive to the “follow the money” aspects of healthcare and, honestly, it’s just plain fun.

Last week I had the privilege of participating in an ethics debate for a well-known and respected university in a course called Controversies in Healthcare (medical, legal, and bio ethics), to a combination group of law students and medical students, on the topic of independent advocacy – vs – hospital advocacy. My co-debater was the Director of Ombudsman at a very well-known and respected hospital system.

The idea, since it was a “controversies” class, was that we were supposed to argue that our own solutions were the better solutions, and that the opposing solution was not a good choice.

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4
FEB

advocacy ethics, advocate best practices, advocate marketing tools, client services, common sense, decision making, empathy, hospital patient advocates, hospitalized patients, money, patient advocacy, patient safety, patients

Because Greetings Should Be All About Them

Posted by: Trisha Torrey

Honestly, I’m tired of the argument.

I live and work in Florida where you would think it was some sort of national disgrace to wish someone “Happy Holidays”. As if somehow the failure to wish a “Merry Christmas” has been co-opted by political correctness as a personal insult to them.

In my (not so) humble opinion, it has gotten worse in the last couple of years. I chalk that up to the facts that (1) I didn’t live in Florida until about two years ago (and therefore heard far less vitriol than seems to be standard fare here) and (2) that we now live in a society where too many of our political leaders are focused solely on improving their own lives, incomes, and status, and not those of their constituents, as in, “It’s all about me!”

I’m just sick of it! Here’s why:

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3
DEC

client services, common sense, decision making, empathy, health advocates and navigators, patient advocacy, patients

Successes, Failures, and My Biggest Surprise

Posted by: Trisha Torrey

12 years. While on the one hand, 12 years seems like a looong time, on the other hand, it has gone by in the blink of an eye.

I’m referring to the 12 years I’ve focused my professional life on building the profession of independent health and patient advocacy, having made the decision in 2007 to begin building an online presence for advocates through the AdvoConnection Directory website. It eventually launched in Fall 2009* and evolved to become The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates.

So I’ve been giving thought to what I consider to be our biggest successes, biggest failures, and biggest surprises during this time, and that’s what I’m sharing with you today. These are my own opinion, of course! You might make other choices. See what you think:

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23
OCT

advocacy business, advocacy certification, advocacy ethics, advocate education, advocate marketing, client services, common sense, decision making, doctors / physicians, health advocates and navigators, money, patient advocacy, patients, The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates

Licensed, Certified, Uppercase, lowercase: Where Are You?

Posted by: Trisha Torrey

Andrea is confused, and if Andrea is confused, others among you are, too. She’s just the one who asked. (You might want to thank her!)

Andrea posted a comment on a previous APHA Blog post called Revisiting the Mean Girls in Our New Advocacy Environment asking me to follow up now that we have certification for Patient Advocates. Her confusion (excerpted, but you can read it all here):

In my opinion, the PACB certification does not nullify or restrict a state license in nursing. It feels like these two knowledge bases go hand in hand. I cannot find any information on your caution to RNs to “specifically NOT promote their work as being nurse-related, and not to cross the line”. I see nothing in the linked ethics or competencies that restricts any kind of nursing interventions other than prescribing medications, and actual medical diagnoses.

In other words, I believe she is asking, “Why can’t I be a nurse and a patient advocate, too?”

And the answer is…. (drumroll please….)

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8
OCT

advocacy business, advocacy certification, advocacy ethics, advocate education, client services, common sense, decision making, patient advocacy, patients