I start my day thinking about all of my clients and who needs help, as if they are a family member. As a nurse patient advocate, I am in the midst of crises almost everyday with my clients. One client may be in the hospital critically ill, one may be learning of a surprise discharge from the hospital and is not ready, yet another is overwhelmed with the news of a devastating diagnosis.
A Support System
This work can be hard, complicated and emotionally trying. Having been a registered nurse at a large urban hospital, I can rely on those professional and interpersonal skills I learned there to deal with my client’s needs and the complex healthcare system. Now, I have the honor of being an extension of the client’s support system day to day, providing the medical insights and direction needed as well as the emotional support to cope and make decisions.
Why An Advocate?
People ask me why I do this work and it is an easy and simple answer. By the time I was five years old, I knew I wanted to be a nurse and that I was born to help. It became clear to me ten years ago, after a major life event, that I need to use my gifts to help others in a new way. That’s when I created my business and quickly realized that being a patient advocate and health coach is exactly was I was meant and destined to do.
Possibly a bigger why is the reward and testimonials I receive from our grateful and relieved clients. In the first consult call with a prospective client, I frequently am told that they feel like they can breathe again and feel some peace of mind knowing that a nurse advocate can walk the difficult journey with them.
Work, Honor and Pride
I am honored to work with an amazing team of professionals that makes this work even more rewarding. I recently received a testimonial about my business partner, Lucille Plantemoli, who, as a nurse patient advocate, navigated a very complex and critical client through several hospitalizations and critical events. I would like to share it here. WHY? Because I am proud of Lucille and amazed at what we accomplish together for our clients. Also on our team is Doris Zito, our expert insurance advocate, who navigated the insurance issues and was able to effectively institute the long term care plan for services for this client, not an easy task!
Client Testimonial
“Healthlink Advocates delivers on its promise!
My siblings and I have been working consistently with Lucille and the team at Healthlink for five months to manage critical care of my father. Most unfortunately, my father contracted a life-threatening illness and has been in and out of the hospital, ICU, subacute care and assisted living facilities. Lucille has truly been a God sent assisting us on many levels including: 1) talking directly to specialized doctors, 2) overseeing medications and communication between health providers; 3) researching and arranging for transfers to the right facilities while managing overwhelming insurance procedures; 4) checking in on my father and meeting him at medical appointments; and 5) most recently, recommending resources to ensure his safe return to home.
Lucille is amazing. She is tenacious and moves rapidly to get the right things done with energy, accuracy, honesty and most of all, passion. Her follow through is impeccable. My sister, brother and I all get along
well with different styles and personalities-- and Lucille figured each of us out quickly to leverage our best team skills. We’ve worked as a powerful foursome, Lucille being the critical fourth.
During an extremely difficult crisis Lucille has been a bright light and a terrific source of professional and emotional support.”