Lost Coast Patient Advocacy
Never feel lost in healthcare, your advocate awaits.
What is a patient advocate?
Patient advocates help people with complex medical situations. At Lost Coast Advocacy, I will work with you to identify your needs and help find solutions. That might include helping you
lean about your health. What have the doctors said that you have? What are you supposed to do about it? Are they talking to each other effectively?
find answers to your questions. What do most people do when they have the same condition as me? What do scientists and research articles say about it? Lost Coast Advocacy can tailor the best available research to answer your individual questions.
feel confident about the care you receive in the hospital, where you live, or in the doctor’s office.
set up appointments like referrals, second opinions, or visits to specialty centers - with specialists you can afford.
find the experts or resources you need to live a healthy, empowered life.
find a place to stay when you need more help - like an inpatient psychiatric facility, a place to rehabilitate after surgery or illness, a detox center, an assisted living, or a long-term care (nursing home)
prevent medical errors - up to half of patients leaving the hospital experience a serious medical error that could have been prevented with better communication. Over 1/4 of medical malpractice cases can be traced back to a communication issue which are reduced when the patient has an advocate.
and more, depending on your needs! Click below to read about more available services!
Who needs an advocate?
Nearly everyone could use a little extra help now and then. Most people who contact us have some complex medical or social needs, for example,
complicated conditions (e.g., cancer, pregnancy, rare diseases, disabilities)
trouble with thinking that makes it hard to remember things, plan, make decisions, or communicate
undiagnosed problems
family members with different opinions
busy work schedules and no time to call insurance companies (hello, parents!)
In-person and remote options
If you (or your loved one) live in Humboldt County, California, I can meet with you in your home and go with you to doctor’s appointments. I can meet you in the hospital or emergency room. For everyone else, I’m available over video chat, phone, and email!
Our services
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Medical Record Management
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Personalized Health and Insurance Education
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Decision Support
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Connection to Resources
About the Advocate
I am a board-certified patient advocate, former family medicine physician, and medical writer. After I graduated medical school with an MD, I entered a family medicine residency program intending to become a fully licensed physician. However, I left this program early and became a medical writer instead. In search of a fresh start, I moved from Kansas to Humboldt and finally feel that I’ve found my home here on the lost coast.
