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. She beat the cancer and learned the importance of self-advocacy along the way. In 2015, she received another cancer diagnosis while living in a “healthcare desert.” Using her acquired self-advocacy skills, Rachel called on her old oncology team in NY. She got them on board, underwent a stem cell transplant, and beat cancer for the second time.

Today, Rachel is a dedicated health care advocate focused on creating compassionate, personalized, and inclusive care systems. As a self-advocacy expert and educator, she assists organizations in implementing patient-centered strategies to enhance care outcomes and foster collaborative cultures. She’s also an instrumental force behind CHCAO, the Coalition of Healthcare Advocacy Organizations.

Listen in as Rachel walks listeners through her highly personal medical and emotional journey that includes beating cancer twice and confronting the death of her father by suicide. Rachel’s life experiences gave her the courage and strength to identify others who needed help, and she was inspired to help as many as possible. Rachel discovered the profession of healthcare advocacy and dove in, realizing the impact she could have as a BCPA.

Through Rachel Westlake Consulting, LLC (RWC), she specializes in self-advocacy education, connecting patients, healthcare professionals, and industry stakeholders. Her background in coalition leadership, startup strategy, product development, and research informs her balanced, partnership-driven approach to addressing patient and healthcare community needs.

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 options. But patients can rarely effectively advocate for themselves, so Nan was the one who discussed all the health issues with her mom and her doctor. She became a part of the "team" as do most family members.

As an Intensive Care Unit nurse for more than 30 years, and with experience in pediatric and adult patients in cardiac care, neurology, surgery, and trauma, her mission today is to provide education, resources, and tools so patients can make educated, informed decisions about their healthcare. Nan’s robust clinical background makes it easy for her to participate in discussions with health care providers and relay complicated medical information to her clients in a clear, simple, comprehensive language they can easily understand.

Nan traveled the world as nurse well before the concept of travel nursing was commonplace. From neonatal ICU nursing in Switzerland to positions in France and North Africa, Nan has experienced many different approaches to healthcare and patient safety around the globe. Those experiences helped shape her perspective, making her an amazing ally for patients and families in head of healthcare guidance and support.

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 who was near death from pulmonary fibrosis and beyond the transplant cut-off age in most hospitals. Karen was relentless in her determination to get her father’s medical records to the #1 transplant facility in the world, convincing them that her dad was the ideal candidate for the lifesaving lung transplant he received at age 72. But everything took a turn for the worse when inadequate hospital safety measures resulted in her father’s passing.

Since then, Karen has been on a quest to help other patients and families access and navigate our complicated health care system for the care they need. She is the founder and Executive Director of The Care Partner Project, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that develops and implements evidence-based tools and resources for both families and providers in order to support safe care practices and prevent harm in hospital settings.

Karen is a respected patient advocate and patient safety leader, and her story has inspired countless advocates, healthcare clinicians, hospitals, and policy leaders. Her strong track record of collaborating with other health care leaders and innovators including The Patient Safety Movement Foundation and as a study advisor at Harvard Medical School makes her a compelling and knowledgeable voice for the profession. Don’t miss this engaging and informative interview with one of the premier leaders in Independent Patient Advocacy and patient safety.

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 medical expenses and enhance their quality of life. Join us as Nicole Broadhurst shares her journey from a former Practice Administrator to a revered Independent Patient Advocate. Learn how she's enabling professionals to maintain work-life balance and take control of their medical expenses without the hassle of traditional billing departments.

After dedicating over two decades to the healthcare industry, Nicole Broadhurst identified a critical flaw: the system was profoundly patient-unfriendly, particularly when it came to navigating the convoluted billing process. This realization drove her to establish Tennessee Health Advocates. By mitigating the stress and confusion associated with medical bills, her organization ensures that patients can concentrate on their recovery rather than their finances. Under her leadership, Tennessee Health Advocates not only alleviates billing pains but also ensures that clients never overpay.

Nicole believes that every patient deserves an advocate. But, she’s also a champion for the advocacy profession. She understands the need for a robust network of colleagues because of her firm conviction that every advocate deserves a thriving practice. She’ll introduce listeners to “The Circle,” her contribution to the advocacy profession that empowers Independent Patient Advocates with the support and community they need to thrive in the field.

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, Rajitha delves into her utilization of evidence-based practices in coaching and how she empowers her clients to embrace lifestyle changes to achieve a vibrant, healthy life. You’ll also learn how she collaborates closely with her clients on their journey toward lifestyle transformation.

With a focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, Raji embodies the essence of what it means to be a Wellness and Lifestyle advocate, and her practice aligns with the principles of Independent Patient Advocacy. Raaji is dedicated to keeping patients healthy and out of the hospital. She understands the patient’s experience from working inside the medical system, and she offers tools and resources to help them improve and sustain their health.

As the founder of the Healthy You Lifestyle Center, Raji is able to practice her passion every day. Her enthusiasm is especially evident when she sees the remarkable transformations in her clients.

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 that nobody else wanted to touch. His approach from day one has been to demystify medical jargon, making information accessible and comprehensible for patients and their families.

After 12 years practicing general surgery, Dr. Feren became Patient Feren. He underwent spinal surgery that failed, leaving him in a body cast for a full year. He was forced to pivot from practicing surgery and was recruited to write actuarial guidelines for an HMO. He refers to his HMO consultancy as working for the dark side, although he eventually became medical director. Another health condition- this time a heart condition requiring coronary bypass- was the impetus for his next series of career changes. Dr. Feren became a lifestyle consultant, then moved on to risk mitigation, and patient engagement and empowerment. He worked for private equity startups and ultimately became an Independent Patient Advocate during the Covid pandemic.

This is an in-depth and candid discussion with an esteemed physician who became a passionate and life-saving advocate. You’ll hear about Dr. Feren’s service as an Air Force surgeon, his opinions on the difference between quality medical information websites and “Dr. Google,” and how he approaches his role as an advocate and the fine line he must walk. Dr. Feren advocates for informed, empowered patients who actively participate in their healthcare decisions, embodying the critical intersection of medicine, advocacy, and compassion in patient care.

This podcast reveals the unlimited potential for Independent Patient Advocacy and the opportunities available for physicians to use their unsurpassed knowledge of the medical system to help those who are struggling within it.

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 has a long history working on the administrative side of healthcare, learning
the business of medicine and overseeing quality control for physical therapy clinics. She
was awakened to the need for advocacy when nobody followed up with her father after
he was tested following chest pains. She learned that you can never assume the
healthcare system is going to do their job. She met Becky Korinek, a teacher who was
serving lunch Nicky’s kindergartener. You’ll have to listen to the podcast to find out how
they connected.

In our discussion, Nicky and Becky describe how they started their practice, who they
serve, what they do, how they get the word out about advocacy in Omaha, and the
importance of staying connected with other advocates. Most importantly, Nicky and
Becky are in lock step when it comes to the need for effective communication with
physicians. That’s why their clients become part of the family. Establishing client trust
ensures that advocates are best able to help them inform to healthcare teams what they should know.

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 modern healthcare system. She decided to do for others what she did for her father and founded Peace Advocacy Group in 2017.

Claudia’s approach to advocacy is in line with her philosophy: “Health is a state of body. Wellness is a state of being.” But, Claudia’s life passion and mission is for every individual who crosses her path to leave with a heightened state of wellness.

We had a lot to talk about with Claudia including her career, her vision, her podcast, and her upcoming book! Enjoy this jam-packed interview with Claudia Cometa, PharmD.