Blog
Flexing the Self-Advocacy Muscle
HEI’s key goal this year is to strengthen patients and their families self-advocacy skills. But what does that even mean? We thank HEI intern Astri Horsburgh for this month’s blog post in which she answers a young patient’s question about what that means and the many ways to self-advocate. Q: “I keep seeing articles about… READ MORE>>
Q&A with Lisa Vililott: How a Parent Can Advocate for a Child with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Dr. Brita Lundberg sat down with Lisa Villiott, whose advocacy for her son is a shining example of the difference that patient accompaniment can make. We are so grateful to Lisa for sharing her son’s medical journey with ulcerative colitis and important takeaways. Below are excerpts from our conversation together. This interview has been lightly… READ MORE>>
The Importance of Patient Accompaniment: Don’t Go Alone when Navigating a Serious Illness
“My sister saved my life. If it hadn’t been for her, the emergency room doctor might have sent me home,” Josie, a patient I advocated for, shared with me. “My sister told the doctors I wasn’t acting like myself–that something was terribly wrong and they needed to figure out what was happening.” There are countless… READ MORE>>
Helpers in Being Your Own Best Patient Advocate
–Corrine Taylor, HEI board member In June 2015, I was diagnosed with breast cancer that had already spread to my liver, bones, and lungs – what is known as metastatic breast cancer. At that difficult time, I was grateful to have my mother and my young adult daughter in the oncologist’s office with me for… READ MORE>>
