“Years ago, my father survived an airplane accident resulting in two shattered lumbar vertebrae, a spinal cord injury and multiple lower-extremity fractures. Fortunately, he survived, and following months of surgeries and rehabilitation he learned to walk again, despite some permanent nerve damage and muscular atrophy. He gracefully adapted over time to the new normal including a neurogenic bladder requiring intermittent catheterization and neurogenic bowel dysfunction eventually leading to an ileostomy. In short, his condition is medically complex, and aging has amplified his neurologic deficits, requiring a large medical team. 

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“While accompanying him to his medical visits and hospitalizations, I learned the value of having a patient advocate at your side. I’ve been able to correct medication lists, fill in missing pieces of information from other specialists on the spot, ask relevant questions, and notice potential drug interactions. When this is done in a collaborative spirit, it is clearly helpful to the physician, too— saving them time, reducing unnecessary phone calls, and decreasing the risk of medical errors. In the extremely complex health care environment, I am uniquely qualified to provide this essential medical service.”

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~ Tina Vandenbosch, MD