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History, Tidbits of Interest, and True Confessions about Patient Advocacy Certification
Today’s post is deeply personal, the culmination of 5-1/2 years of work, thousands of hours of donated time and effort, and my hopes, emotions, and dreams for this profession of health and patient advocacy that I believe is so vital to the future of safe, effective, and fair patienthood. It regards the launch in mid-March (2018) of Patient Advocate Certification from the PACB (Patient Advocate Certification Board), how we got there, my appreciation and deep respect for the hard work of my fellow PACBoard members, and the immense amount of pride I continue to feel about being a part of the Board, and my role in bringing certification to fruition as one member of the PACB. It also includes some frustration and some lows that went with the highs…. It’s my personal take on history and true confessions all rolled into one. History In September 2012, a group of 25+ interested parties came together to explore the possibility of certification development. Called together by two individuals involved in advocacy, author Jari Holland Buck, and Deb O’Connell from the University of Toledo, they represented advocates, educational institutions, and professional organizations. In the first few months, as we got to know each other, the big picture was discussed. Goals were framed. Eventually a steering committee was elected – and thus began the work of certification development. Thinking back to those early days (and many days since), it’s kind of a miracle that we ever completed the certification. As we got started there were huge personalities involved, including some who didn’t like not being in charge. (Yes, that’s a double negative – so read it again!) I was unpopular from the get-go which isn’t an unusual position for me (strong leaders with strong personalities are to be avoided at all costs!) but realized that my best contribution could be my technical abilities, as in, building the online structures for communications – the website, the document repository, etc. So, I volunteered my time as support personnel – NOT as voting member of the Board. Otherwise? I might not be writing this post today. Work…