Beacon Patient Solutions founder Ailene Gerhardt Awarded 2023 Independent Advocate of the Year
Ailene Gerhardt, Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA), Certified Senior Advisor®, founder of Beacon Patient Solutions and the Navigating Solo Network was named Independent Advocate of the Year at the 2023 Healthcare Advocate Summit held in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Healthcare Advocate Summit, now in its third year, was designed for advocates, by advocates™ and is the premier event for anyone involved in patient access, navigation, and reimbursement. The Healthcare Advocate Summit recognizes that advocates working directly with patients/clients and healthcare staff can provide critical insights for improving the patient journey and outcomes.
For the first time, in 2023, the organizers of the Healthcare Advocate Summit partnered with the Coalition of Health Care Advocacy Organizations (CHCAO) to offer the Independent Patient and Health Care Advocate Education Track. This event brought the independent advocate national community together in person for quality programming aimed at building skills and setting the tone for the future of Professional Patient and Health Care Advocacy. In addition, the Summit served as a prime opportunity to grow and spread awareness of independent advocacy and Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA).
According to the organizers of the Healthcare Advocate Summit, the Advocate of the Year is an awards initiative that recognizes the contributions being made across the field by rising stars and emerging leaders working as Healthcare Advocates. Advocates are recognized in four categories: Healthcare Facility Advocate, Private Practice Advocate, Pharmacy Based Advocate, and Independent Patient and Health Care Advocate.
Gerhardt was recognized as Independent Advocate of the Year for her contributions to the field of Independent Patient and Healthcare Advocacy and for her innovative work with Solo Agers - older adults who by choice or circumstance are without the support of adult children or adult family members.
“I am so appreciative of this unexpected honor,” said Gerhardt. “I am so passionate about the work I do and the clients, colleagues, and community members I have the privilege of working with. To be honored by my peers in this way is quite humbling.”
Independent board certified patient advocates (BCPA) have been trained to navigate the complexities of today’s healthcare system. Independent patient advocates have varied professional backgrounds ranging from those who have previously worked in the healthcare system to those drawn to the work because of a profound personal experience. Working with an independent board certified patient advocate (BCPA) provides a client with compassionate, resourceful, and skilled assistance tailored to the client’s expressed needs, goals, and values.
Independent Patient and Healthcare Advocacy is a second career for Gerhardt. After growing up in South Florida, Gerhardt moved to Massachusetts to attend college. In the years that followed, she earned her undergraduate degree from Clark University and her master’s degree from Brandeis University.
While enjoying a successful 17-year career as a human services professional advocating for the needs of students, faculty and staff on college campuses, Gerhardt’s mother became gravely ill. Gerhardt experienced first-hand how draining and challenging navigating the intricacies of the health care system can be while actively supporting a loved one experiencing a healthcare crisis. The experience as her family member’s primary health advocate led her to a career change and her calling as an independent patient advocate.
“For me, unexpectedly serving as our family’s health advocate during my mother’s critical illness and 6-month hospital stay was life-changing in many ways. After my mom was discharged from the hospital, I continued to serve as my mom’s advocate along her road to rebuild her life and regain her independence. This experience opened my eyes to the critical need and value of the role of an advocate in a patient’s care,” Gerhardt said.
Gerhardt completed her Certificate in Consumer Health Advocacy at the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Patient Partnerships in August 2017, earned her Patient Advocacy Board Certification credentials in April 2018 as part of the first cohort, and recertified in December 2021. To further her knowledge, Gerhardt earned her Certified Senior Advisor credential in April 2023.
As Gerhardt’s advocacy practice has evolved, she has developed a specialty working with solo agers (an adult 55+ who, because of choice or circumstance, is without the support of adult children or close family members). In the fall of 2021 she launched the Navigating Solo Network: The Path to Dynamic Solo Aging Starts Here™ which includes a national website, a growing network of members, and an online clearinghouse featuring resources specifically for Solo Agers.
In the summer of 2021, Gerhardt convened Pros Working with Solo Agers, a national multi-disciplinary group of professionals whose work has a focus on Solo Agers. The multi-disciplinary group meets monthly and tackles issues facing solo agers.
Gerhardt is a sought-after speaker and has offered over 120 community education talks and classes since launching her advocacy practice in Spring 2018. She also frequently serves as a source for journalists writing stories regarding the complexities of healthcare and aging.
Gerhardt's dynamic advocacy work includes a focus on Solo Aging. This expertise led to the Fall 2021 founding of the Navigating Solo Network: The Path to Dynamic Solo Aging Starts Here!™, a national website, network, and online clearinghouse featuring resources specifically for solo agers!
In addition to her groundbreaking work with Solo Agers, Gerhardt serves as the Vice President of the NAHAC Board of Directors. Over the past year, her strategic thinking and technical skills have supported NAHAC in its work with the Coalition of Health Care Advocacy Organization (CHCAO) and the building of the new NAHAC website. She also serves on the Steering Committee of the Massachusetts Health Care Advocates (MAHCA).
For more on the Healthcare Advocate Summit, visit www.healthcareadvocatesummit.com.
For more about Ailene Gerhardt’s work and Beacon Patient Solutions, visit: www.beaconpatientsolutions.com and for more about the Navigating Solo Network, visit: www.navigatingsolo.com
Connect With Us: When the complexity of your healthcare situation is too challenging to navigate on your own, working with an independent board certified patient advocate can help cut through the “red tape,” reduce complications, and offer peace of mind at an emotional time. Contact Ailene to learn more about the value of working with a private patient advocate.