Could You Be an Advocate?

In anticipation of our workshop tomorrow, ”The Emerging Field of Private Health Advocacy”, A new career for you, - a new resource for your patients, I want to take the time to detail how one can become a health advocate. The complexities of our healthcare system seem to increase daily, as there are new options for treatment almost daily. Medical providers differ on diagnosis regularly and health reform is adding much confusion to the mix.

Patti and I have seen a growing need for a “bridge” between individuals and health care providers, and Health Advocate is increasingly becoming a household word. Also known as a Private Case Manager, a Geriatric Care Manager or Patient Navigator, Health Advocates are there to give peace of mind to their clients as they weave their way through the complexities of the medical system.

A master’s program in Health Advocacy has been in existence at Sarah Lawrence College since 1980, but certification and credentialing for our field is still in its infancy. While there are few training programs located in the US, many companies are now focused on providing this service, which bodes well for the future of health advocacy credentialing. As of now, entering a training program is the best bet for those interested in pursuing a career in health advocacy.

People with previous training and related work in health care are the best health advocate candidates. Their experience naturally gives them a leg up in the field, as working for a hospital or specific disease advocacy group can expose a person to the plethora of ethical and practical issues that health advocates need to be skilled in handling.

Our workshop is intended to give an overview of the field and prepare the participants to look further into a career in this exciting new arena of Private Health Advocacy.

Look for a summary later this week, and announcements on additional workshops later this year…