Patient Advocacy Now

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 her—adherence to a code of ethics, continuing education, and clear boundaries such as not serving as a client’s POA—and how her work today foc...

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 person-centered and how the last one looks beyond the medical condition to the whole individual, considering lifestyle, relationships, and beliefs. She ...

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 pediatric patients aged 17 and under who must travel for treatment of rare, chronic, or complex medical conditions. Dana explains that once ...

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 assumptions that nearly caused tragedy, and why self-advocacy is as essential a life skill as financial literacy. She explains how preparation, a...

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 navigating a broken healthcare system. That realization inspired her to create Your GPS Doc in 2017, where she helps families and patients unders...

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 is now understood as a chronic brain-based disease, the groundbreaking role of GLP-1 medications, and the concept of “food noise” that many...

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 medical opinions, and the ongoing search for clarity around a potential connective tissue disorder. Victoria explains how her personal expe...

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 care systems. She opens up about balancing parents’ independence with safety, and the importance of planning. McWilliams also emphasizes h...

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 bigger than her own family. Families across the country were being dismissed, misdiagnosed, and even accused of medical child abuse when s...

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 accompany long-term physical pain, especially in patients navigating fragmented and impersonal medical systems. He advocates for a holisti...

 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 faced a lifetime of unexplained symptoms—ranging from joint pain and allergies to abdominal issues and severe fatigue—before being properly...

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, National Dental Advocacy, she offers services that include virtual consultations, billing and coding support, and direct advocacy in complex den...

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 bench science, her research emphasizes real-world tools and systems designed to help providers and patients make safer, more informed decisi...

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 associated with hospital employees or free services—Kayla rebranded herself as a personal medical strategist. The new title not only clar...

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 wealth of experience and insight into the evolving challenges of healthcare.

Teri shares her personal journey into patient advocacy, which b...

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 life-changing brain surgery that transformed her perspective on healthcare. 

Drawing from her legal and medical advocacy expertise, she discusses...

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, including autoimmune challenges, inspired him to deepen his commitment to patient advocacy.

Drawing from over two decades in cardiology, he offe...

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 shaped her mission to guide others through the complex healthcare system. 

With a sharp focus on aging without traditional caregivers, Nan...

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, Barbara offers a unique perspective on how LNCs can bridge gaps in patient care and legal processes. 

From advocating for vulnerable patients...