PODCAST · health
Patient Advocacy Now
by Greater National Advocates
Come learn about the independent patient advocacy world and how the state of healthcare is changing in our country.
Episodes
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Resilience Is Beautiful: Deanna Steinley's Journey Through Rare Disease, Diagnosis, and Hope
For nearly two decades, Deanna Steinley lived with unexplained symptoms that baffled doctors. An athletic child who grew weaker with physical therapy instead of stronger, she endured surgeries, frightening complications with anesthesia, changing life plans, and years of uncertainty before finally...
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How Patient Advocacy Saves Lives Before, During, and After a Medical Crisis
Resources: HospitalToHealth.com — Download Val's free Hospital Readiness Checklist and Medication Mastery Guide, and learn more about her book, From Hospital to Health. Every family eventually finds itself navigating the healthcare system, but very few people are taught how to become effective...
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The New Patient Advocacy 360° Community
Step Into PA360° Turn collaboration into referrals and practice growth Patient Advocacy 360° is a professional community where advocates connect, collaborate, and grow their practices. This brief video shows how PA360 helps advocates gain visibility, share expertise, and access new opportunities....
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Building Systems That Last: Rebeka Acosta on Collaboration and Change
In this heartfelt episode, we welcome back pediatric advocate Rebeka Acosta, BCPA, for a deeply personal and inspiring conversation. Rebeka shares the emotional decision to step back from her advocacy practice to focus on her son’s health, while reflecting on the tremendous progress made for...
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Systems Insider to Board-Certified Advocate: Veterans, Mental Health, and Real-World Care
Rachel J Nash traces her journey from rehabilitation counseling roles inside large systems (state vocational services, VA, Medicaid social work) to launching a private advocacy practice anchored in ethics, transparency, and patient empowerment. She explains why board certification matters to...
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The Power of Person Centered Care with Cynthia Overton
In this episode, we sit down with author and advocate Cynthia Overton to discuss her new book, The Clear Cane Chronicles, which explores what person-centered care really looks like in practice. Cynthia explains the evolution of models of care from traditional to patient-centered to…
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Opening Skies for Sick Kids: How Miracle Flights Helps Families Reach Lifesaving Care
In this episode, we speak with Dana Jarvis from MiracleFlights.org, a nonprofit that has provided more than 165,000 free flights over the past 40 years to help children access specialized medical care not available near home. Serving all 50 states, Miracle Flights covers commercial airfare for...
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Healthcare Powered by You: Self-Advocacy in a Broken System
Healthcare advocate Joyce Griggs shares her journey from navigating her partner’s dangerous post-surgery crisis to founding United States of Healthcare, a platform empowering patients to become their own advocates. Drawing on 20 years in healthcare communications, Joyce opens up about the...
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Your GPS in Healthcare: Navigating Medicine, Mindset, and Advocacy
In this episode, Dr. Nicole Rochester shares her remarkable journey from practicing pediatric medicine to becoming a nationally recognized health advocate. Sparked by her experiences caring for her late father, Dr. Rochester realized how vital her medical knowledge and connections were in...
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Balancing Compassion and Medicine: From Hospice to Obesity Care
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Sherika Newman, a hospice and palliative medicine physician and founder of Doctor in the Family. Dr. Newman shares how her journey in patient care led her to launch a patient advocacy service and later expand into weight management. She explains why obesity…
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Fighting for Answers: The Journey from Patient to Advocate
In this episode, Victoria Killian shares her decades-long journey navigating the medical system with chronic illnesses, beginning at age 12 with debilitating back pain. She describes her struggles with missed diagnoses, the eventual discovery of ankylosing spondylitis, setbacks from conflicting...
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Caring Before Crisis: Planning, Advocacy, and Aging Well
Social worker and aging life care manager Amy McWilliams shares her journey from caring her aging parents to founding Not Your Average Joe, an advocacy practice where she provides Personalized Senior Advocate Care Management and Services that help aging adults and their families navigate complex...
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“Donna Sullivan on Rare Disease Advocacy and the Fight Behind Complicated”
In this emotional and revealing interview, Donna Sullivan shares how her experience as a mother to children with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) led her into full-time advocacy. When her children faced chronic pain, misunderstood diagnoses, and rejection from hospitals, she realized the problem was...
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Healing Chronic Pain: The Hidden Link Between Trauma and the Body with Andrew Gill, LPC
In this insightful interview, Andrew Gill, LPC, shares his unique approach to counseling clients with chronic pain, emphasizing the profound intersection between physical suffering and mental health. Drawing from years of experience, Gill highlights how anxiety, depression, and even trauma often...
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The Truth About EDS: A Doctor’s Experience with Medical Dismissal
Dr. Linda Bluestein shares her extraordinary medical and personal journey through the underrecognized world of connective tissue disorders, particularly hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD). Initially trained as an anesthesiologist, Dr. Bluestein...
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Shelbey Arevalo: Bridging the gap between patients and providers in the dental field
In this episode, Shelbey Arevalo shares her powerful mission as a national dental advocate and consultant. She has spent over 15 years in the dental industry and now dedicates herself to bridging the communication and access gap between patients and dental providers. Through her nonprofit…
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Kristen Miller: A Guiding MedStar for the Patient’s Journey
Kristen Miller is a healthcare delivery researcher with nearly two decades of experience working with MedStar Health. Her work focuses on improving how care is delivered across all phases of the patient journey, from preparation before appointments to follow-up after visits. Unlike traditional...
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Inside the life of a Personal Medical Strategist with Kayla Thompson-Riviere
In this compelling interview, Kayla Thompson-Riviere, RN and Board Certified Patient Advocate, shares her journey from burned-out ICU nurse to the first and only independent advocate on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Confronted with the confusion surrounding the term "patient advocate"—often…
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Why Nurses Are Leaving Healthcare – And How Frykenberg’s Been Filling the Gap
In this episode of Patient Advocacy Now, we sit down with Teri Frykenberg, a nationally recognized leader in patient advocacy and patient safety. With a background as an ICU nurse, a three-time author, a newspaper columnist, and a serial entrepreneur in the patient advocacy space, Teri brings a...
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Navigating Solo Aging and Inspiring Elder Orphans featuring Nancy Ruffner
In this thought-provoking episode of Patient Advocacy Now, we sit down with Nancy Ruffner, a trailblazer in patient advocacy and a passionate advocate for solo agers. Nancy shares her inspiring journey from social work to private patient advocacy, reflecting on how personal caregiving experiences...
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From Cardiologist to Advocate in Crisis featuring Chris Price
In this heartfelt episode of Patient Advocacy Now, Dr. Chris Price, a retired cardiologist turned patient advocate, shares his incredible journey of resilience, service, and transformation. Known for his calm demeanor during medical emergencies, Dr. Chris discusses how his health struggles,...
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Guiding Lives Through Advocacy With Sensitivity featuring Lisa Berry Blackstock
In this powerful episode of Patient Advocacy Now, Lisa Berry Blackstock, founder of Soul Sherpa, shares her remarkable journey from estate administrator to trailblazing patient advocate. Lisa opens up about her personal battle with misdiagnosis and debilitating chronic pain, culminating in...
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Legal Nurse Consulting Meets Patient Advocacy featuring Barbara Gaynor
In this enlightening episode of Patient Advocacy Now, we explore the vital intersection of healthcare, legal expertise, and patient advocacy with Barbara Gaynor, a seasoned registered nurse and Legal Nurse Consultant (LNC). With over 25 years of experience spanning various medical disciplines,...
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Conversations With Patient Advocacy Influencer Christy Snodgrass @ChristyPRN
Christy Snodgrass is a registered nurse, turned healthcare reformer and patient advocate. While working in the hospital she witnessed firsthand how the complexity and lack of transparency in healthcare placed a huge burden on healthcare workers and patients. She has since built a social media...
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From Surviving Cancer (twice) to Building Coalitions featuring Rachel Westlake
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....
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Simplifying the Complex Healthcare System featuring Nan Wetherhorn
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…
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From Marketing Executive to Patient Safety Leader featuring Karen Curtiss
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…
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Behind the Bills: A Crusade For Clarity and Simplicity
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...
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From Nursing to Wellness Advocacy
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…
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Both Sides of the Stethoscope featuring Alan Feren MD, FACS
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...
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When Friends Become Advocates: It’s Working in Omaha
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 joined forces and combined their unique individual skills to create a rewarding, impactful, and fun patient advocacy practice. Nicky Wik...
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Where Pharmacy Meets Health featuring Claudia Cometa
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...
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Born Into Pharmacy: A Prescription For Advocacy featuring Nancy A. Taylor
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...
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Healthcare or Optimal Healthcare? There's a Difference featuring Sandra L. Washington
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…
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Season 2 Preview
In this short preview we share some snippets of the exciting interviews we have in store for Season 2 of the Patient Advocacy Now Podcast
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Season 1 Recap
In this episode we take a look back at some of our most memorable moments from our inaugural season of the podcast and even get a bit of a sneak peak of what's to come in season 2.
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Ilene Corina: A “Take-Charge” Leader and the Pulse of Patient Safety
In this Season 1 finale, we speak with Ilene Corina, a patient advocate with over 25 years of experience. Ilene shares her personal journey, which began with the tragic loss of her three-year-old son after a tonsillectomy due to medical errors. This heartbreaking experience motivated her to…
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From Lyme Disease To Root Cause Advocacy featuring Sylvia Reisman
In this episode, we talk with Sylvia Reisman, whose passion for patient advocacy began in 1998 when she was researching treatment options for her father who was a five year survivor of stage III pancreatic cancer. In 2006, she became mysteriously ill and ran from doctor to doctor, consulting…
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Caring For The Displaced: Advocacy For Refugee Communities featuring Emily Bernstein
In this podcast episode, we sit down with Emily Bernstein, who shares her journey into patient advocacy. Emily's advocacy work began when her mother was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2019. Her mother's challenging path to diagnosis and treatment inspired Emily to get involved in helping others...
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The Road to Advocacy: From RV Parks to Healthcare Reform featuring Terry McLellan
In this episode of the Patient Advocacy Now Podcast, Terry McLellan, a seasoned patient advocate, shares her journey from nursing to becoming an independent patient advocate. Her transition was fueled by her experiences as a travel home health nurse, where she identified a significant need for...
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From Physician Associate to Amputee Advocate an Inspiring Odyssey featuring Tina Hurley
In this podcast episode, we sit down with Tina Hurley, a board-certified physician associate with extensive experience in vascular surgery, acute care medicine, and wound care. Tina’s medical career involved treating diabetic patients and performing amputations, until she herself became an…
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From Health Policy to Bedside Nursing and Beyond featuring Adriane Carrier
Adriane Carrier is an advocate for social justice and health equality with a diverse background in healthcare. In this episode, we discuss her journey from activism during the HIV AIDS crisis in the 1980s to working as a registered nurse and eventually pivoting to becoming a private, independent...
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From Silicon Valley to Patient Advocacy: Navigating Transgender Health Equity featuring Molly Crowther
In this conversation with Molly Crowther, a board-certified independent patient advocate based in Berkeley, California, we trace Molly’s unconventional background in the software industry, where she worked on large systems, into the field of independent patient advocacy. Molly goes over her…
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TikTok Health Literacy: A Multi-Faceted Approach to Health Education and Advocacy featuring Morgan Kelly
Meet Morgan Kelley, a patient advocate based in Chicago who uses social media to educate people about healthcare and health insurance issues. Morgan discusses how she leverages platforms like TikTok to reach a wide audience and provide education on health insurance terminology and how health...
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Debby Deutsch and her Journey From Hospital Chaplain to Patient Advocate!
Debby Deutsch is a Board Certified Patient Advocate who entered healthcare as a hospital chaplain before she became a devoted and passionate hospice worker. As is often the case for Independent Patient Advocates, personal and professional experiences collided, and Debby started to explore her...
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How Spiritual Enlightenment Led to Independent Patient Advocacy, Featuring Deidre Kindred
This highly personal conversation reveals how Deidre was inspired by GOD to help others understand their personal medical journeys and how to collaborate with their healthcare team. That spiritual inspiration led Deidra to begin a patient advocacy business, Your Healthcare Nurse Advocates. Her…
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A Candid Discussion With Jeff Byars, Lifelong First Responder and Award-Winning Independent Patient Advocate
This is the story of a rural EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) who made the career decision to become an Independent Patient Advocate after his young daughter’s misdiagnosis. Jeff Byars is a Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA) in Cullman, Alabama. Like so many professional advocates, Jeff…
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From Family Caregiver to Advocacy Champion: Avrom Fox is a Hero to Patients and Loved Ones
A social worker and nonprofit agency Director for many years, Avrom Fox was inspired to enter into patient advocacy because of his daughter, who was born with special needs. He advocated for her fiercely for 44 years, since the day she was born, and he fought insurance companies to secure…
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Meet an Engaging and Inspiring Advocacy Role Model
Rebeka Acosta is the mother of two teenagers born with congenital illnesses. Having worked in hospital systems and for a large insurance company, while caring for the complex medical needs of her family, she took took the leap into Independent Patient Advocacy. Today, she’s on a mission to…
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Patient Advocacy Now have?
Patient Advocacy Now currently has 51 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Patient Advocacy Now about?
Come learn about the independent patient advocacy world and how the state of healthcare is changing in our country.
How often does Patient Advocacy Now release new episodes?
Patient Advocacy Now has 51 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Patient Advocacy Now?
You can listen to Patient Advocacy Now on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Patient Advocacy Now?
Patient Advocacy Now is created and hosted by Greater National Advocates.
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