Tired of shouldering the burden alone?
A New Dawn Patient Advocates partners with you, your loved ones, and your healthcare professionals; empowering you to understand and navigate the turbulent seas of the healthcare system.
What I do
Patient Advocacy
A New Dawn Patient Advocates helps patients and their loved ones navigate complex healthcare situations. I partner with you to streamline the process, ensuring that all the necessary information and resources are available, understood, and considered in order to make informed decisions.
My experience with facilitating difficult conversations empowers my clients to direct and remain in control of their healthcare decisions. I also help facilitate communication with family members and providers so that the entire client-team is on the same page. I am knowledgeable across many avenues of the healthcare system but specialize in assisting local seniors with a focus on care management, dementia, and solo agers.
Testimonials
What people are saying..
"Dawn is kind, calm, and knowledgeable. Her advocacy skills and compassion were greatly appreciated during my dad’s and hospitalization and end of life journey. I truly do not know what my family would have done without her. She spent many hours at the hospital with us and countless hours on the phone asking questions and making arrangements."
Jill ~ Client's Daughter
Services
Attend
Attend medical appointments to coordinate care, ensuring you are empowered to make informed decisions.
Collaborate
Collaborate with other care providers to facilitate effective communication between you, your providers, and loved ones.
Coordinate
Help coordinate and explore alternative living arrangements.
Assist
Assist with the coordination of resources to improve your quality of life.
Act
Act as a liaison for you and your out-of-town family members.
Provide
Provide companionship services at a reduced rate.
why I do it
I have been there
My mother's cancer journey and untimely, unexpected death in the hospital is what drove my pursuit to help other families going through healthcare challenges with a loved one.
When mom was hospitalized at the end of her life I was scared, overwhelmed, confused and unsure. I was not able to see the big picture or think rationally. All of the skills I had learned and put into practice were gone. My dad and brother and I didn’t always agree; tensions rose. We could have used an advocate.
I am grateful that my Mom and I had numerous conversations about death and dying and that she had the opportunity to express her wishes. Unfortunately, her disease did not progress as anticipated and she ended up in a situation that I knew she would not have wanted. I have always lived with guilt as a result of this ordeal and am committed to working with people so that others do not have to experience what we did as a family.
My role as an advocate incorporates my social work training with what I learned as a hospice social worker. I am available for advance care discussions with clients and loved ones as an objective third party. I know firsthand the importance of having these conversations to ensure a patient’s wishes are carried out to the end and possibly decrease family contention.
Frequently Asked Questions
They can help you regain control of your healthcare and ensure your voice is heard.
I can act as a liaison between you, your loved one and their providers. I can be your eyes and ears checking in to confirm your loved one is being heard, getting their needs met and understanding their medical situations. This can provide reassurance and peace of mind to both loved ones and their family members.
In addition to medical advocacy, I offer “companionship” services at a reduced rate. This may include visiting with the client, check in calls/visits, running errands or taking the client on outings
Although it is difficult to put a monetary value on patient advocacy services, we can often bring relief and peace of mind to clients and family members. Knowing you are not alone and that you have someone working independent of an organization to help you coordinate appointments and medical information can be reassuring and priceless.
Credentials & memberships
About Me
It All Began with Social Work
I have been advocating for folks both personally and professionally in various settings for many years. My experience began when I graduated from the University of Iowa with a BA in Social Work in 1988. The focus of my social work career was medical social work.
In 2015 I thought it would be interesting to go back to school after nearly 30 years; needless to say, things were a bit different. In August, 2017, I received a Certificate in Consumer Health Advocacy from the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Patient Partnerships and became a true Badger; to my husband’s delight!
I launched my business in early 2018 and shortly after took the inaugural board certification exam and was in the first group of BCPA’s (Board Certified Patient Advocate) in the United States. I have “officially” been helping seniors take back control of their own healthcare through education and empowerment since.
Contact Information
Email:
Dgrelle@ANewDawnPatientAdvocates.com
Service Region:
Madison and Surrounding Area
Phone:
608-206-0637
Copyright 2024 -
Services provided by A New Dawn Patient Advocates are not a substitute for a healthcare provider nor are covered by insurance. We do not provide medical, financial, or legal advice.