Nurse-Patient Advocacy
Shalom Austin Jewish Family Service offers a nurse-patient advocacy program to help clients and community members navigate health challenges.
What is a patient advocate?
A patient advocate is a professional who provides services to patients and their loved ones/caregivers to aid in navigating the complex healthcare continuum.
Physical and mental health are intricately connected. Our therapists and case managers work closely with the nurse-patient advocate to offer holistic services to meet the various needs of our clients. We understand the complex needs of our clients who live alone and may not have family living close by.
What services do we offer?
Our Nurse-Patient Advocate is a contractor of Shalom Austin Jewish Family Service and will work directly with the client and their therapist or case manager to discuss a client’s needs and explore next steps.
The Nurse Patient Advocate may:
- Help find the right hospitals and medical providers (doctors, surgeons, etc.) and navigate getting second opinions
- Assist in finding qualified rehabilitation, long-term care, home health, hospice, and palliative care services that meet the patient’s needs
- Help with the transition from hospital to home or skilled care facility
- Coordinate care for the patient
- Help the patient and family member/caregiver understand the diagnosis and treatment options
- Communicate with medical providers
- Help in relaying information from the medical visits and answer further questions
- Meet one-on-one with patient, family, and caregivers to assess concerns
- Prepare patient for doctor’s appointments and accompany to the visit (or telehealth)
- Take notes during doctor’s appointments and provide the patient with easy to read format
- Assist client in asking questions during their appointment time
- Research the diagnosis and treatment options
- Educate patient and family/caregivers on diagnosis and treatment options
- Assist client on the informed decision-making process
The Nurse Patient Advocacy program allows our clients to make informed decisions about their medical care.
Want to learn more or find out if you qualify for services?
Contact Case Management Services Director Hilary Katz at hilary.katz@shalomaustin.org.
Meet our Nurse-Patient Advocate:
Susan McCoy, Ed.D., MSN-Ed., RN, BCPA has been a nurse for more than 20 years. She began her nursing career as a Navy Nurse Corps Officer working in critical care. Following her military career, she worked in the areas of public health in which she designed programs for the medically indigent population and helped those in need access medical care as well as educated the community on a variety of health issues. Additionally, she was a sexual assault nurse examiner and was responsible for evidence collection, education, advocacy, and an expert witness. All of this experience led Susan to path of teaching nursing in higher education for RN-BSN and pre-licensure students for many universities throughout the country.
Susan has always had a passion for teaching and helping others. Throughout her career, she has been drawn to helping friends and family members who were newly diagnosed and assisting them to advocate for the services they need and help with navigating through the healthcare system.
When Susan was opening her Nurse-Patient Advocacy business, she reached out to JFS to explore how she could partner with us to serve individuals in need. In 2022, JFS was gifted the funds needed to begin our Nurse Patient Advocacy program in partnership with Susan.
JFS is incredibly grateful to Barbara M. Barron (zichrona l’vracha, may her memory be a blessing) for her vision and for inspiring this program, and the Barbara M. Barron Foundation Trustees for allowing JFS to build this program in Barbara’s memory.
Please note we are not a 24/7 crisis center. If you have a mental health emergency, please call (512) 472-4357 [HELP].
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