About Us
About Suncoast Patient Advocates
Suncoast Patient Advocates was established out of a growing desire that my colleagues and I share to advocate for our patients, in the midst of a sometimes overwhelming and fragmented healthcare system. Despite all the wonderful advances that medicine has made in recent decades, many times the patients themselves get lost in the system.
So often, healthcare providers don't have the time to fully explain to the patient what they need to know about their condition, necessary testing, test results, options for treatment, possible outcomes, etc... That's where we come in!
We advocate for you, or your family member, bridging those gaps in the system, by:
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Facilitating communication between patient and healthcare staff
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Educating patient about questions that he/she should think of asking to Healthcare staff
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Serving as a facilitator to communicate accurate medical updates to family, when needed
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Preparing a “plan of action” in the event of a medical emergency or crisis
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Providing researched information, about a new diagnosis, test or medication.
We do not make decisions for the patient. We believe in empowering people to have the information they need to make intelligent decisions for their own health.
We take on many roles, in our effort to advocate for our patients. We are Care managers, Mediators, Facilitators, Navigators, Investigators, Researchers, and sometimes, Negotiators.
All with the idea in mind, that patients are better off, when they are empowered to make their own health care decisions. That is our passionate mission.
- Patricia Dufour, Owner
"Starting this business was done out of desire and passion to empower people to take an active role in their healthcare decisions, so they would no longer feel vulnerable due to a lack of information"
- Patricia Dufour
About Patricia
Patricia Dufour is a native of the Sarasota area. She has worked in healthcare here for over 30 years. During that time, she spent 20 years in nursing at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Throughout her nursing career, she has found that functioning as her patients’ advocate, has been the most meaningful aspect of her role in healthcare. This led to her becoming one of the first Board Certified Patient Advocates in the area. Since then she has continued pursuing this professional accreditation by being apart of NAHAC and APHA. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering her time for a variety of different charitable organizations.
Providing you with the best credentials and experience
Patient Advocate Certification Board
The only internationally recognized certification for patient advocates.
APHA
The premier support organization for independent patient advocacy and care management professionals in the United States and Canada.
Instructor
Participants learn to view falls and fear of falling as controllable, set realistic goals to increase activity, change their environment to reduce fall risk factors, and exercise to increase strength and balance.
Wellcoaches for Health and Wellness
Certified Wellcoaches provide long-term wellness and health improvements for their clients.
Certified Care Manager
Care Managers are qualified to perform the full range of care management tasks through a validated, standardized examination.
