Patient Advocate
This whole process has made me consider changing careers. Do the patient advocates just get these jobs randomly or is this something they went to school for? I know that my patient advocates at my surgeons office have not had weight loss surgery nor are battling obesity. I would love to do this one day and be a real inspiration for the new patients coming in for surgery.
I doubt they went to a special training course for patient advocacy. More likely, they had some background in the medical field, likely in an administrative capacity, and they wandered into it.
I didn't set out to wrangle insurance for a herd of doctors. I started working in customer service for a managed care giant, went to work for another managed care company, then started in health care services processing authorizations for care, and eventually found myself where I am now.
You might start searching job listings and check to see what commons skills and requirements are needed. It seems to vary widely.
I did not go to college for anything remotely health care related.
I fight badgers with spoons.
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I would say actually ask the patient advocates how you get into that kind of work. They would know best.
I think it would be an awesome career choice. When you ifnd out...pass it on!
I really think the geriatric community needs MORE advocates. To ensure everythign is adequately checked out and explained and not passed off as "oh..you are just old!"
RNY Surgery: 12/31/2013;
Current weight (2/27/2015) 139lbs, ~14% body fat