About Survivor Support Advocates

Our healthcare system is designed to diagnose, treat, and move on to the next patient. It’s common for patients and their families to be overlooked and forced to make their own difficult decisions and transition.  This is where Survivor Support Advocates make a profound difference.

Survivor Support Advocates are compassionate, experienced mentors who assist patients with challenges that often persist long after treatment ends. Whether it’s helping patients adjust to a disability, living with a rare or chronic illness, or recovering from a traumatic injury, Survivor Support Advocates offer invaluable support.

Having lived with and overcome their diagnosis, Survivor Support Advocates have meaningful perspectives and peer mentorship experiences that enable them to advocate for patients and their families and help them find hope, strength, and resilience during the most challenging times.

Peer Mentors with a Twist

As Independent Patient Advocacy professionals, Survivor Support specialists are peer mentors with a few distinctions.  First and foremost, Survivors are required to have lived with a condition or disability mirroring the challenges of the patients they support. Unlike impersonal clinical interactions, this common ground fosters deep, trusting relationships that can be truly transformative for patients. 

Next, Survivors must pledge adherence to both the Collaborative Code of Ethics and Code of Responsibility governing the profession. Finally, as Independent Patient Advocacy professionals, Survivors are responsible for routinely sharing ideas and collaborating with colleagues to improve the patient experience and advance the evolving profession.

Independent Patient Advocacy Specialists

Independent Patient Advocates come from different backgrounds and skillsets. Many are former healthcare workers who know the “ins and outs” of the medical system. Others have experience in billing, insurance, caring for aging adults, or as mentors for people living with a disability or chronic illness. This diversity is essential because the challenges facing patients and loved ones can vary dramatically. For this reason Independent Patient Advocacy offers the following specialties:  Medical Guidance, Special Care & Aging, Insurance & Billing, Wellness & Lifestyle, and Survivor Support .

The “Independent” Part is Essential

It’s important to know that “Independent” Patient Advocates are not employed by hospitals or insurance companies. They work directly for the patient they are hired to serve and no one else. This ensures that the advocates can represent the best interests of the patient without being coerced by corporate interests that often lead to bad outcomes