Patient Advocacy Now

Rachel Westlake was a teenage kid with long, curly, red hair when she was diagnosed with large cell lymphoma at the age of 15. During more than a year of experimental treatment protocols, Rachel began to understand her own mortality, something none of her peers had any concerns about whatsoever. She beat the cancer and learned the importance of self-advocacy along the way. In 2015,

On this episode, we talk with Nan Wetherhorn, a South Florida Independent Patient Advocate and nurse since 1976, who learned the importance of advocacy during her mom’s battle with cancer. Nan’s mom was a pharmacist and was more than capable of understanding her diagnosis and her treatment options. But patients can rarely effectively advocate for themselves, so Nan was the one

Listen in as we sit down with Karen Curtiss, a Board-Certified Patient Advocate whose journey into patient advocacy started with her quest for a lung transplant to save her dad's life. Karen was working in advertising and marketing at the time, but she dropped everything to advocate for her dad who was near death from pulmonary fibrosis and beyond the transplant cut-off age in most

In this episode of Patient Advocacy Now, we speak with Nicole Broadhurst, the founder of Tennessee Health Advocates. Nicole's practice is focused on medical billing, and she provides her clients with the tools needed to decode their healthcare charges, empowering them to take charge of their medical expenses and enhance their quality of life. Join us as Nicole Broadhurst shares her

This week, we’re joined by Rajitha Bommakanti, an Independent Patient Advocate and lifestyle coach. Raji was a practicing nurse for more than 30 years, and she now combines her clinical skills with holistic coaching to help change habits and achieve lifestyle goals. During our conversation, Rajitha delves into her utilization of evidence-based practices in coaching and how she em

Dr. Alan Feren is a former MD who is now practicing as an Independent Patient Advocate. In this episode, Dr. Feren shares his long and impressive journey of perseverance, integrity, and advocacy. As a general surgeon, Dr. Feren was always an advocate for his patients. He took on the tough cases that nobody else wanted to touch. His approach from day one has been to demystify medica

For so many independent patient advocates, it can be a scary proposition to go it alone.In this episode, we hear from two good friends from Omaha, Nebraska who joinedforces and combined their unique individual skills to create a rewarding, impactful, andfun patient advocacy practice.Nicky Wik has a long history working on the administrative side of healthcare, learningthe business

Claudia is a clinical pharmacist by training and patient advocate by passion. After over a decade of working inside the healthcare system, she faced her father's cancer diagnosis and later passing. This experience provided her with a deeper understanding of how difficult it is to navigate our modern healthcare system. She decided to do for others what she did for her father and fou

In this episode, Dr. Nancy Taylor discusses her journey into patient advocacy, stemming from her background as a pharmacist with a passion for personalized healthcare. Dr. Taylor emphasizes the importance of pharmacists as patient advocates and highlights her transition from behind the pharmacy counter to independent patient advocacy, driven by a desire to establish deeper connecti

In this episode of the Patient Advocacy Now podcast, we sit down with Sandra L. Washington, founder of the C.H.L.M.S. Medi-Helpz Foundation, an organization committed to patient advocacy and empowerment. Sandra L., with a background in public policy and healthcare administration, shares her journey and the impetus behind her advocacy work. Motivated by the tragic experiences of los