As the founder and healthcare advocate of Clarity Patient Advocates, my mission is to help patients in the Greater Atlanta Area achieve the best care possible by ensuring access to quality healthcare resources, providing information that empowers informed care, and easing the emotional, financial, and logistical burden of navigating the often complex and confusing healthcare system. Having a health advocate allows patients and their families to focus on what is important and to make informed choices.

 

I have uniquely experienced healthcare from three sides – as a nursing professional with experience in health education and patient experience, as a caretaker, and as a patient. This perspective allows me to empathize with my clients while also having a thorough understanding of the healthcare system. I started my career in business, earning my Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) but eventually left the corporate world to stay home with my three children. When it was time to return to work, my passion for helping others led me to switch gears and pursue a nursing degree.

 

After graduation, I worked in direct patient care for several years, developing a particular interest in oncology (cancer) and eventually becoming an Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN). As a nurse, I saw how hard it is for patients and families to navigate the healthcare system and get the care they need. My roles as a quality and safety coordinator and leader of the many tumor boards at my hospital further informed my understanding of the entire healthcare continuum, from prevention to diagnosis and treatment to payment and insurance issues.

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Along with my professional background, I have had to navigate my own healthcare journey and have helped several others along their journeys as well. It wasn’t until several years ago, when I was diagnosed with advanced-stage breast cancer, that the importance of being an informed and proactive patient really became clear.  No one can prepare you for the range of emotions you feel when you receive a diagnosis like that. Yet, as difficult as it was, I realized how lucky I was to understand the healthcare system – to have access to the resources I needed, to work with physicians with whom I could openly discuss my questions and concerns, and to understand my condition, treatment options, and what questions to ask. Since then, I have advocated for many family and friends dealing with their own healthcare issues, from Alzheimer’s to insurance denials. My career in patient advocacy was born from the desire to help others have quality healthcare experiences where they can feel empowered to guide their own journeys.