Yesterday, I received mail I had not expected. As I opened the package, I found a signed copy of a new book a fellow Patient Advocate colleague wrote with her husband, “It’s Agape Love: The Spirit of Champions.” The book is designed to be a transformative experience...
Last week, I got a call from a 40-year-old woman who wanted help to understand what she could do as she had no healthcare insurance and was recently diagnosed with Uterine Cancer. She told me that she started bleeding and went to the ED, where she was evaluated. The...
As nurse case managers and patient advocates, we discuss engaging our patients in their care. I recently had an experience that showed me how powerful patient engagement can be. Friends of mine have a sister who lives in Arizona. Their sister, Nancy, recently lost her...
If you have followed me, you know my story….I am a Brain Cancer Survivor! I was diagnosed with Central Nervous Lymphoma in November 2014. The diagnosis plunged me into an incredible journey, which I am grateful to have survived. What I learned is that when you are...
Over the weekend, I went to Philadelphia to surprise my best friend, who was turning 70. I wanted to be there to celebrate her big day. Turning 70 is a milestone that most of my friends and I experienced in 2024, but Mary is the youngest of all my friends, so she is...
Happy New Year! I hope you and your family had a happy holiday season. As we begin 2025, we have a blank slate. The new year gives us time to examine our lives, to see where we are, where we want to go, and how we will get there. Design yours well! I took time over...
Wow, where did 2024 go? As we approach the end of the year, I took some time to review each post, re-read your comments, and look at the data from my website’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to see how my posts resonate with my readers. I chose the Top Ten...
By now, I am sure you have heard about the killing of Brian Thompson, the CEO of United, that occurred in Mid-town Manhattan on 12/4/24. The killer has been caught, and the police investigation is ongoing. Hopefully, we will gain more insight into this heinous crime...
While traveling to see family and friends over the Thanksgiving Holiday, we stopped to look at a few senior living communities we might consider. Now that my husband and I are in our 70s, we are considering our next steps and advanced care planning. There are many...
This Thanksgiving is special for me as I remember my tenth anniversary of being diagnosed with Central Nervous System Lymphoma. Looking back over the last ten years makes me grateful that I am still here. Facing your mortality and looking at an uncertain future is...
I have been involved in some complex and challenging cases lately. As I reflect on my role, I realize that my role is mainly as a disruptor. Yes, case managers are disrupters. We are in place to disrupt the status quo. If you have not experienced the healthcare system...
I don’t talk politics on my Blog, but I want to remind everyone registered to vote in their state to make sure they vote on or before November 5th. Don’t say or think your vote doesn’t matter. IT MATTERS! Voting on November 5th is probably the most important thing you...
The healthcare system is complex, fragmented, and costly. People (patients and caregivers) are caught in the middle and struggle daily to make sense of a convoluted system that works like no other service industry we utilize daily. So, how does the average consumer...
It’s Case Management Week, and I want to share a story about my first encounter with a patient, which led me to a career in case management. I first learned about case management in 1984 when I worked in Philadelphia in the Respiratory ICU. I was caring for a...
Whether you are on Medicare or a Medicare Advantage program, open enrollment allows you the opportunity to review your plan and make necessary changes so you are prepared for “What Ifs’. To confuse things more, Medicare open enrollment is also known as the...
As a nurse case manager, I know having a good primary care physician to partner with on my healthcare journey is essential. I have tried several doctors in my community over the years, but I felt we never were on the same page. They were always so busy; the...
In this post, I want to remind readers that September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Each of us has a role in helping to recognize people in distress and help them work through dark times. Recognizing the signs of depression and other mental health conditions...
