Stop feeling lost in healthcare.
Get back in control of your health with an advocate.
What is a patient advocate?
Patient advocates help people with complex medical situations. This might include helping you:
Learn about your health. What were you diagnosed with, and what can be done about it?
Find answers to your questions. What do most people do with your condition? What does the science and research say?
Feel confident about the care you receive in the hospital, where you live, or in the doctor’s office.
Set appointments like referrals, second opinions, or visits to specialty centers - with specialists you can afford.
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 Learn More below to read about more available services.
Who needs an advocate?
Many individuals with complex medical or social needs are great candidates for an advocate. This might include those with:
Complicated conditions (e.g., cancer, pregnancy, rare diseases, disabilities)
Undiagnosed problems
Conditions of which you’ve heard differing opinions
Trouble with thinking that makes it hard to remember things, plan, make decisions, or communicate
Busy work schedules and no time to call insurance companies (hello, parents!)
How Lost Coast Can Help
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In-Person and Remote Options
If you or your loved one live in Humboldt County, California, we can visit in your home, go with you to doctor’s appointments, or meet you in the hospital or emergency room without additional charge. We are available for travel for those within 400 miles of Humboldt County, at a rate of ___ per mile.
For those outside of this area, Lost Coast Advocacy is available over video chat, phone, and email!
About the Advocate
Lauren Wheeler is a board-certified patient advocate, former family medicine physician, and medical writer. After she graduated medical school with an MD, she entered a family medicine residency program intending to become a fully licensed physician. Lauren left this program early and instead utilized her knowledge base to became a medical writer and patient advocate.
In search of a fresh start, she has moved from Kansas to Humboldt and finally found home here on the lost coast.
